A Change in Character
by AzureStoryTeller
Summary: It was a normal day in Kuoh for Issei, until he walked into the ORC Clubroom, where he expected a normal day to occur but what he found inside was going to change his life drastically in due time as he matured into a King. Issei x Harem. Updated Summary.
1. Chapter 1: The Girls Are Acting Strange

_**This is just a story that I had thought up of on the spur of the moment. This is my first fanfiction, just to warn you. My writing and summaries aren't great but I hope this little story helps give you a laugh. The characters may seem a bit different, so you'll have to forgive me. Read, review, and enjoy. I do not own High School DxD or any of its material and characters. High School DxD is written and owned by Ichie Ishibumi. I'm not exactly sure what is safe for rated T so let me know if this story crosses the line.**_

 **Bold words – Draig Talking Out Loud**

 _ **Bold Italics – Draig Thinking**_

 _Italics – Issei thinking_

* * *

 **A Change in Character**

 **Chapter 1: The Girls Are Acting Differently**

Today was just a normal day, no training, no disastrous events, no doomsday going down, just a regular school day. It was a Friday too, so weekends were off.

Issei was walking to the club room to meet up with everyone else from the Occult Research Club, or ORC. It was just a regular afterschool meeting, but today, was not going to be such a thing. Issei wasn't aware of this, however.

Knocking on the door, Issei put his hand on the door handle, until suddenly, Draig spoke to him.

 **"You should be careful, Partner. I have a bad feeling about what's behind the door. I don't sense any particular danger of a fight, but just be cautious."**

"Got it, Draig." Issei put his guard up but avoided summoning the Boosted Gear, unless necessary.

Issei carefully opened the door to see, Rias, Akeno, Xenovia, Koneko, Asia, Ravel, Rossweisse, and Irina, all sitting on the couches and chairs in the room. They all looked a little dazed and…different.

" _Hey, Draig, don't they…seem a little odd to you?_ "

" _ **I don't exactly know what's going on, but they have a faint energy signature on them. It looks like they've been mentally or spiritually effected. Be careful.**_ " Draig warned him with a cautious tone.

Issei felt a sense of protectiveness spark in him.

"Hey! Are you all alright?" He called out.

This snapped all of the women out of their trounces as they looked at him in alarm at his sudden call.

"We're fine, Issei." Rias dismissed his worries with a smile.

The others gave him smiles as well, which were unusually brighter than normal.

Seeing his girlfriend and master give him a reassuring smile, Issei relaxed as he sat down at an empty spot on one of the sofas. Koneko, immediately moved to sit on his lap, as usual, and began to eat some of the snacks that she had brought with her. She held up some mochi for him to eat, and gave him a sincere and warm look.

"Senpai, please have some." She spoke in her usual voice. She had a strong blush on her face and she seemed exceptionally more affectionate than usual. The action seemed small, but it was quite moving, nonetheless.

Issei took a bite of the green-tea mochi and continued about his usual mood.

"So what's the meeting about today?" Issei looked up at Rias.

Rias seemed to be entranced at his gaze and a blush crept across her face but she shook it off as she realized herself fall into a daydream.

Her face returned to being serious as she relayed to him why they were here.

"Duke Gremory has told us about a Stray Devil that's in the area. He wants us to eliminate it." Akeno spoke out, but her eyes were strictly fixated on Issei, her gaze unwavering and loving.

Issei felt that it was too dangerous for him to be in the room, for he felt the gazes of all of the women fall on him.

Shaking off his worries, he tried to shake the attention off of him. He loved having these beauties around him, but he felt that something unnatural was going on.

"Where's Kiba and Gasper?" Issei noticed that his brothers-in-arms, wasn't present.

"He's busy right now. It seems that he's taking care of Tosca. I thought it best that he got to spend time with her and catch up. Gasper's doing the same with Valerie.

"I see." Issei smiled in relaxation. The two other guys in the club finally got to meet beloved people from their past again. The two needed a break to play catch-up anyways.

Akeno's gaze felt considerably more jealous, but her jealous aura quickly receded as she regained composure.

Issei caught this and felt intimidation rise in him.

Issei felt two large and soft objects touch the back of his head and turned around to see Rossweisse clinging to him, with a strong affectionate emotion in her eyes.

"Rossweisse-sensei, what's wrong?" Issei asked nervously.

"Nothing at all, Issei-kun." She replied sweetly. The usually uptight Rossweisse, looked like a love-struck girl who had just found the love of her life.

Issei felt that this weekend, and maybe even next week, he'd be in for something huge.

* * *

That night, the ORC had tracked the Stray Devil to a warehouse. Walking into the warehouse, everything seemed normal until everyone felt a bloodlust arise from the shadows.

A creature popped out from the darkness of the Warehouse. The Stray Devil was a low-class devil but it had gained quite a bit of power from consuming several victims. It no longer looked humanoid and was just a black spiky creature that had a red visor. It growled and roared as it showed its gnashing black teeth. Its frame was large but stealthy and it had blades for hands.

"Everyone, can you leave this to me?" Issei requested with earnest emotion.

"Why?" The women called out with concern.

"I want to use real battle experience for my training. When I saw Vali use his [Empireo Juggernaut Drive] I felt that he made another large gap in strength against me. I need to train more, and what better way to do that, than to use real battle as training." Issei's reasoning was valid, and reluctantly, the girls stepped aside.

"Let's do this." Issei said as he summoned his Boosted Gear.

" **BOOST!** " The red gauntlet called out as it began to work its power-up function.

"Balance Break!" Issei called out as his Scalemail enveloped him in red dragon armor.

Normally, Issei wouldn't really use Balance Break for fighting a low-class devil now, but his training with the elder Sun Wukong, made him feel like putting battle-experience into his training.

The last time he trained, he had to hit a clone of Sun Wukong multiple times with exactly the same amount of power. He boosted his power to a level that he felt that was 5 and punched the Stray Devil, knocking the air put of it as his punch connected with its chest, sending it hurling into the air.

" **BOOST!** " The gauntlet called out as Issei leapt into the air.

He punched into the Stray Devil again and this time, the power felt exactly the same as the first punch. A sign of improvement.

Issei boosted one more time and fired a [Dragon Shot] that obliterated the Stray Devil.

With the job done, Issei dispelled his armor and looked at his left arm.

"Still got a long way to go. I still need to get stronger." Issei vowed as he and the other ORC members went home.

* * *

The problem with the women's change of personality became more apparent when everyone had gotten home.

Rossweisse had immediately jumped to see if he was alright.

"Issei-kun, are you alright? Are you hurt or tired?" She asked with worry lacing her words.

She wasn't acting like usual, yes she was very kind and she had acted more affectionate with him after the incident with Euclid, but she was still restrained and uptight.

"I'm fine, Rossweisse-san." He raised his arms and moved around in a normal fashion to prove his point.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged Issei tightly.

"I'm so glad you're not hurt. I was so worried that you'd push yourself too hard and it made me so worried that something bad would happen. Thank goodness." She whispered to him as Issei felt her chest push up against him.

" _Ah, this is bliss. Her chest is so big. I love it!_ " Issei commented mentally as he savored the moment.

Akeno's aura began to crackle and flare as she glared at Rossweisse, but she calmed herself down again as she tried to control herself.

Rossweisse's face inched closer to Issei's as she was about to kiss him, Akeno appeared from nowhere and blasted a blast of thunder between.

"Ara ara. Ufufufu. Looks like Rossweisse-sensei needs to be taught a lesson." She chuckled darkly as she began to feel anger boil in her.

"Wha!" Issei exclaimed as he and Rossweisse jumped out of the way from her thunder magic.

"What's with Akeno-san? She's acting so differently!" Issei wondered what the real source of the change was.

Akeno proceeded to fire several bolts of thunder magic at Rossweisse, who shielded herself with magic circles.

The two flew in a dance of magic in the air, as chaos began to grow.

The answer to Issei's question soon arrived as Azazel appeared in the room through a magic circle.

"Looks like it was you all." Azazel mused as he rubbed his temple with an amused look.

"Sensei! What's going on?" Issei looked to him for guidance and answers, while chaos erupted with Akeno attacking Rossweisse with thunder, while Rossweisse defended herself with barriers made of magic circles.

Azazel looked at the two women who were engaged in warfare and proceeded to calm the situation down first.

"The both of you, stop it right now!" He yelled with a calm and leader-like tone.

Recognizing his voice, Akeno and Rossweisse relented and calmed down. The two of them had then apologized to each other for their behavior and then went their separate ways.

"Sensei, what's going on?" Issei asked, exasperated.

"I had made an invention on the spur of the moment called the Personality Ray. It takes some dormant parts of a person's personality or even twists a person's personality, and changes a target's behavior. For example, if I shot you with the ray gun, you'd be a normal and upright guy, a contrast to your current self. I accidentally left it in the clubroom when I left and it looks like the girls must've been hit with the ray when it went off. I found that the remains of the ray in the Clubroom. I guess it wasn't stable and it exploded, hitting all of the girls in the room at the time. I don't know what kind of personality each girl has at this point but I'll be doing some studies on it to try and find a solution. We can't have this chaos go on, not with Rizevim already causing trouble. Until then, bear with their behavior.

Issei sighed as he feared what might happen if this happened again.

* * *

Issei went to sleep that night and felt that Asia and Rias weren't sleeping with him. An odd and unsettling discovery.

Instead, he found Akeno, in his bed, alone with him.

She was sleeping soundly against his chest and was completely naked!

" _These two soft mounds touching against me, they must be Akeno's soft boobs! I can't get enough of this! This is the best! But why is Akeno-san the only one here?"_

Akeno stirred awake as she looked up at Issei and giggled.

"Ufufufufu. Issei-kun, you're all mine now." She said in a state of euphoria.

"Akeno-san, where'd everybody else go?" Issei asked with concern.

"They all decided to sleep in their rooms, so I took the chance to sneak in here instead. Now we can be together forever and ever and nobody will come between us. I'll make sure, that the two of us live happily together, my beloved Issei-kun." She spoke with a blushing face and lustful tone.

In truth, Akeno had put up a powerful magic barrier around the room so that nobody but a Maou-level person could get through. Strangely, this wasn't something she had ever shown being capable of doing in the open.

"Akeno-san, are you alright?" Issei asked with concern.

Akeno replied with a sweet and gentle tone.

"Yes. I feel perfectly happy and content with you. I couldn't be happier. I've always fantasized about waking up like this you. I want to be like this with you every morning and I also want to wake up like this with you in the future with children. Wouldn't that be perfect, darling?"

"So, why did all of the other girls sleep in their own rooms. Where's Rias-buchou and Asia?" Issei asked absentmindedly. Issei had become accustomed to sleeping next to Rias and Asia, and even all of the other girls in one bed.

Akeno immediately began to get angry at the mere mention of other women.

She looked down with her bangs covering her eyes and she spoke in a hushed and restrained voice.

"Why do you keep mentioning other girls? Are you having sexual affairs with them? Are you leaving me behind? I know that I talked about wanting to have an affair but it's different now. I want to be the only one that you look at from now on. I want to be the only woman in your life. I won't let them have you. You're mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Issei-kun belongs to me. I can't stand it. Why won't you accept my feelings?! I'll make sure to get rid of the other women, then I'll be the only one in your life. You'll love me only! Ufufufufufufufufu!" Akeno began to rant in anger, jealousy and desperation as Issei felt her embrace him. She began to pull him to her as she tightened the hold. She looked up and Issei looked into her eyes. They were blank and lifeless, devoid of all happiness and were left disturbing and intimidating.

Issei recalled watching an anime where there was a yandere girl who was behaving exactly like her and when the guy that was dating her, broke up with her, she killed him.

" _SHE'S A YANDERE!_ " Issei exclaimed in his mind while freaking out.

Deciding to rationalize in order to survive, Issei patted her head and kissed her forehead.

"Akeno, don't worry. I love you too." In truth, Issei did hold romantic feelings of love for her, but he just hadn't said it out loud yet.

This seemed to calm Akeno down as her grip loosesned. Her eyes returned to normal, with happiness and vigor returning.

She closed her eyes happily with a smile and cuddled up to Issei, who breathed a sigh of relief.

" _ **Looks like you dodged a bullet, Partner. I once had a host who had a harem of yanderes. It. Was. Terrifying. Who knew that human women could be so scary? Anyways, good job handling that one. All that's left is for Azazel to report back on his findings tomorrow.**_ "

" _I wonder if I'll survive that long._ "

Issei decided that he would have to steel himself for what was to come.

* * *

The next morning, Issei met up with Azazel, who had come up with a new invention.

"I did some more research and it looks like the personality change has to develop according to the person's interactions. It'll take a couple of days for the effects to wear off so you'll have to bear with it." Azazel smirked at Issei's distress.

After Issei told Azazel what happened with Akeno the previous night, Azazel's face paled.

"Yep, yanderes are the worst to deal with. Her personality change must've developed after watching you interact so closely with the other girls. Thankfully, Akeno isn't a naturally murderous person. She maybe a sadist, but she won't be crossing over to a full yandere so no worries. The personality changes will fluctuate though, so the girls will act like usual sometimes and their other personalities will take over at other times." Azazel's research brought relief to Issei but it also made him worried too. Suddenly Akeno appeared from the kitchen doorway.

"Issei-kun, breakfast is ready." She smiled sweetly before returning to the kitchen to bring the food out.

"I'll be leaving now. See ya." On that note, Azazel left through a magic circle.

Sitting at the breakfast table with Akeno and the other girls, Issei felt that his premonition about this being a big thing, had come true.

* * *

 _ **What'd you think? Good? Bad? Terrible? Make sure to leave reviews and comments if you feel like it and I'll see you next time.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Sweet Turned Sour

_**Well, here you go, the second chapter to my story. Unfortunately, I have taken excessive liberties with what the characters say and do, so forgive me if they aren't like how they are in media. I tried to make this take place as closely to the light novels as possible, after volume 18 was where I targeted but I have no idea where to go now. I might even add more girls to the story, like Gabriel, who I really want to see more of.**_

 **Bold words – Draig Talking Out Loud**

 _ **Bold Italics – Draig Thinking**_

Italics – Issei thinking

* * *

Chapter 2 – Sweet Turned Sour

Breakfast was quiet. Well, that was what Issei wished anyways. True to what Azazel said, Akeno was acting like normal again. She would make her usual one-sama personage like normal and she would make teasing remarks about having an affair with Issei.

Rossweisse still seemed to be under the Personality Ray's effects. She was clingier than yesterday and was practically plastering herself on him. Issei did enjoy the soft and pleasurable sensation of her chest on him, but he wondered if this was how she truly felt or if this was the Ray's work. He was distracted by his thoughts as he felt her soft bust shift.

"Issei-kun. Say ah." She cooed cutely to him as she picked up some salmon and gently placed it in his mouth.

Asia huffed as she pouted with her cheeks puffing. She felt jealous at how close Rossweisse was with Issei. Issei had yet to see her personality change develop and was thankful for it. He didn't want to see the pure Asia turn into a yandere like Akeno or become excessively clingy like Rossweisse.

" _Alright, at this rate, I might survive these past couple of days. That is, if more yanderes don't pop up."_

" _ **I've been doing some observation, Partner. It looks like that nun, Asia, is glaring jealously at the both of you. I think you spoke too soon.**_ "

Issei realized what Draig was saying and looked at Asia. She was giving off a jealous aura like Akeno but less murderous and much poutier.

As soon as their eyes met, Asia turned away angrily and continued to eat without looking him in the eyes again.

" _I've seen this type of behavior in an anime before. But where?_ " Issei pondered to himself as Rossweisse continued to feed him.

With breakfast over with, Issei decided that he'd do some training, and much to his delight, he was able to accomplish the task that Sun Wukong had set for him. He had been able to make 20 consecutive attacks that were all equal in measure and he had increased the time that he could wear his Scalemail. By 15 minutes to be exact.

After showering to cleanse himself of his sweat, Issei changed into a new set of clothes, and walked out of the shower room. He was greeted by Asia, who was fully clothed, who had a sports drink in her hands.

"Here. Take it." She said with a brusque tone. It wasn't like usual where it was shy and gentle.

"Thank you, Asia." Issei replied with a warm smile.

This sent Asia's heart on a race as she gazed into his eyes and smile.

"It's not like I wanted to see how cool you've gotten, Issei. Hmph!" She retorted and left, leaving Issei surprised.

"She's gone tsundere." Issei groaned with an unbelieving tone.

He fell on his knees and went into comedic despair.

"The pure and innocent Asia, has turned into a sharp-tongued and grueling girl. Maou, help me." Issei sobbed as his mental image of the pure and cute Asia cracked like a mirror and broke.

* * *

He picked himself up and walked to the Living Room and saw Asia, sitting on the sofa, browsing through channels, with a temperamental look on her face. Rias and Akeno were busy with college business, Irina was meeting up with other angels, Xenovia was at school for club activities, Rossweisse was out shopping, Koneko was training with Kuroka, and Ravel was spending leisure time to herself. This left Issei and Asia alone.

Issei decided that he didn't know what would happen to him if he tried to approach her as a tsundere, since they could be violent, so he decided to silently creep upstairs.

He gently treaded on the floor and almost managed to get halfway up the stairs until the stairs betrayed him. A creak rang from the stairway and Asia looked up to see Issei trying to sneek away from her.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" She exclaimed as Issei recoiled and slipped. He lost his footing and fell, rolling back down the stairs from whence he came and sled across the floor with a loud scratch.

Asia walked over to him and looked at him.

"Stupid! How stupid are you?! You should be more careful where you step. Come here!" She spoke with a demanding and loud tone as she picked him up and dragged him to the couch.

She let him down slowly onto the sofa and rolled up his pants, to see a small red mark on his knee.

Asia put her hands over his knee and began to heal it with [Twilight Healing].

"Asia, I don't think Twilight Healing is necessary for this." Issei chuckled sheepishly.

Asia immediately got in his face and began to speak in an upset fashion.

"You should know that even if you get a small injury, it'll still affect you if something happens. I'm not taking that chance. I don't like seeing you get hurt." She noticed what she just said and cut Issei off before he could say anything.

"It's not like I'm healing you because I want to anyways. Everyone will get sad if you get hurt, so I'm doing this so that we don't fall apart. Understand?" Asia immediately left the room after healing his small inhibition on his knee and trotted up the stairs.

" _ **Tsunderes. Never liked how indirect they are. They drove one of my hosts crazy once.**_ "

" _How'd your host deal with that problem?"_

" _ **He snapped and yelled at all of them and they started apologizing and then his harem got better. However, that nun's personality change should be temporary though. Bear with it, Partner.**_ "

" _I'm trying, Draig!_ " Issei complained.

* * *

That evening, everyone had come home and to Issei's relief, everyone was back to normal. Dinner took place like usual and Issei felt truly at peace now that everyone was back to normal. Rossweisse wasn't so clingy anymore, and apologized to Issei about the trouble she caused and exchanged apologies with Akeno, who wasn't in her yandere personage.

"Issei-kun, please accept this dinner as an apology for how I've been acting lately." Rossweisse bowed in guilt, making her well-endowed breasts bounce and jiggle, causing a blush and perverted smile to form on Issei's face.

" _They bounce!"_ Issei exclaimed in his mind. He snapped himself back to reality as Asia made a glare at him.

"Nono, it was Azazel-sensei's fault. Don't worry. You didn't cause me any trouble. I actually thought you were really cute." Issei commented absent-mindedly on that last part.

Rossweisse blushed as she felt hope. Hope that she would be able to obtain a boyfriend, yet.

"I'll help bring the dishes and bowls to the sink." Issei volunteered as he walked into the kitchen. Unfortunately, he didn't see the puddle of oil on the kitchen floor, which was created by a leaking bottle of oil.

Issei slipped and fell as a mass of dishes and food scraps fell on him, drenching him in a mess.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry. I didn't know that bottle of oil was leaking." Rossweisse immediately leapt into action and began to wiped the food scraps and oil off of Issei's face.

Issei immediately felt a blush creep on his face as he realized how much of a perfect wife that she'd make. She was caring, beautiful, and kind and could cook and clean to an excellent level and she was smart and strong. A dream girl, she was.

"It's fine, Rossweisse-san. I'm not hurt or anything." Issei put a hand up to calm her down but he didn't realize that Rossweisse had gone back into her clingy mode.

"Issei-kun, don't call me Rossweisse-san or sensei when we're alone. Call me Rossweisse or Rose, from now on. Please?" She made a cute and entrancing smile that seemed to glitter and sparkle.

" _What destructive power!_ " Issei could feel his brain melting a little as he gazed into her beautiful face.

"Okay, Rose." Issei said so a bit hesitantly as he began to get the dishes and food scraps off of him.

Rossweisse broke into a smile and blushed even deeper.

"Why don't you go take a bath? I'll take care of this mess." She sprinted into action as she began to use magic to clean the mess on the floor.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Issei left the kitchen and had grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and headed to bath. He went to the guy's bath on his floor and walked inside to see Asia, in all of her unclothed glory. She was getting out of the bath and her hair was still wet. Even though he was used to her nude sight, Issei couldn't get enough. He still developing boobs had grown a little larger, making Issei save his sights into his mental neural hard drive.

Asia froze when she saw him. Her mouth agape and her eyes wide, she grabbed a bucket on the floor and threw it at Issei.

"Stupid Issei! What are you doing in here?! Get Out!" Asia screamed as she began to throw anything that was in her reach while covering her lady-parts with a towel.

"What do you mean?! This is the guy's bath!" Issei replied while dodging incoming objects of random size and design.

"You still shouldn't be here while a girl is here!" She retorted with no reason in her mind.

"Okay! Sorry!" Issei relented and ran out of the room and walked to another bath that was on this floor.

" _She's still tsundere_." Issei commented to himself.

It seemed that the house's designer had more secret baths installed in the mansion.

He walked through the hallway and walked up to a hidden door and pushed it, revealing a large doorway that led to a large spa and bath.

He undressed and showered and finally walked into the hot spring. This hot spring was out in the open but it seemed like the bath's heat completely countered the cold of the winter night.

Issei relaxed and reclined into the water before slowly submerging himself in it to warm himself up from head to toe.

Little did he know, Rias had walked into the bath as she too, had discovered this secret bath. She undressed, showered and walked into the water, but she noticed bubbles coming up from a certain spot and walked over to see what the source was.

Suddenly, Issei erupted out from the bath with a huff as he took in a long deep breath. Having a dragon body made him extremely resistant to heat so this water was going to have no effects of making him dizzy.

Rias shot backwards and nearly fell but Issei caught her before she fell as he instinctively rescued her from her fall.

"Rias?! What are you doing here?" Issei asked her before he noticed her body. No matter how much he saw it, he considered it perfect every time he laid eyes on her. Especially chests.

" _A naked Rias is the best. I can't get enough of seeing her boobs. I love boobs! Thank you, Maou_."

Rias stared at him as she began to stutter.

"K-k-k-k-k-KKKYYYAAAAAAAAH!" She let out a shaking yelp as she covered herself up.

Issei was alarmed by this act, as she never minded him seeing her naked and never opposed the idea of him seeing her unclothed. However, this time she was screaming like a normal shy girl.

"Sorry! Issei exclaimed as he gently let her go and looked away."

" _I wanna see it. I wanna see her but I don't want to upset her like I did with Asia_."

Issei was in turmoil as his head fought to look at his girlfriend, while his will to live made his head turn away.

Rias was a hot blushing mess as she kept her arms and hands over her private parts.

"I didn't think Issei would find this place. I came here to take a bath alone, but I didn't think that you were in here." Rias muttered.

"I can leave if you want." Issei began to get up but Rias dove next to him to stop him.

"No it's fine. I just…wasn't expecting this. It feels so different compared to normal." Rias confessed her nervous emotions to him as she leaned closer to him.

Issei felt her voluptuous figure push up against him and her soft breasts pressed against him, making him quite happy as he felt his desires being realized to an extent.

Issei then realized that Rias was probably under the effects of the Personality Ray, which explained her now shy and conscious behavior.

Realizing that he was probably making her uncomfortable, he decided to get out of the bath.

"I'll get out now. I've been here for a while already." Rias nodded as Issei got out of the bath and changed into some clothes and left for his room. He walked inside to find that Asia was already asleep on his bed, snoring away cutely as she wrapped herself with her blanket over herself.

Issei climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly, with Rias soon joining him later.

* * *

The next morning, Issei woke up to find that Rias, Asia, Akeno, Ravel, Koneko, Irina, and Rossweisse were in his bed, all were asleep with light snores escaping them. Issei decided that he was in quite a predicament, as he had to use the bathroom, but he was pinned down.

He had to find a way out but couldn't. If he moved too much, he'd risk waking up the girls. If Akeno went yandere, he and the others were dead. He didn't want to get smacked by Asia either.

" _Crap, this is bad! Draig, what should I do_?"

" _ **Keep calm! Concentrate on moving and wriggling your limbs as gently and slowly as possible out of their grasps. Whatever you do, don't rush and stop if one of them start to move or even twitch.**_ " Draig advised him as he tried to help his partner survive.

At this moment, Issei had decided to pool all of his strength into stealthily sneaking out of their grips.

Draig's advise worked as he managed to get out of his situation with minimum to no damage.

He gently moved off of the bed with near-untraceable swiftness that the call of nature had gifted onto him, and moved to the bathroom.

* * *

After relieving himself, he left the bathroom after washing his face, hands, and brushing his teeth and left the bathroom to see that all of the girls had left his room, probably because they sensed that he had left.

Changing into proper attire, Issei walked downstairs and was awaited by Akeno, who had changed, and was cooking breakfast.

The speed of how she had moved so quickly, alarmed Issei but he chose not to question anything.

He sat down in front of the TV and Asia sat next to him.

"You owe me." She barked at him with an angry tone.

"For what?" Issei backed away as she inched closer to him.

"What do you mean "what?!" You saw me naked in the bath!" She cried out in outrage, much to Issei's fear and alarm.

"SHHHHH!" Issei put a finger to his lips to help tell her to be quiet but it was too late for that.

Akeno immediately stopped stirring her pot of soup and turned around, with her hollow yandere eyes.

Issei began to freak out but was saved once again by Azazel. He knocked on the door and entered after Koneko let him in.

"Yo, Issei. I came to talk. Let's go somewhere private." Azazel spoke casually. He had no idea what kind of situation was going on right now, but he knew that he should probably keep things secret about the Personality Ray.

He and Issei walked into a separate room but not before Azazel noticed Akeno's yandere eyes. Azazel immediately paled and began to shiver as his previous escapades with yanderes had begun to reappear in his memory.

Closing the door normally, Issei and Azazel broke out into a cold sweat.

"Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap." The two repeated to themselves as they feared what would happen after they left the room.

"Ok, listen. I brought a device that'll help you. This watch will help tell you when someone is behaving under the influence of the Personality Ray. The hand will light up green when someone is under the influence and will light up blue when a person is clear of its effects. The band will turn red when you're in danger of harm. Try putting it on now. The stronger the glow, the worse the situation is." Azazel handed Issei a white watch of simple make.

As soon as Issei put it on, the watch turned a bright shade of pure red.

Issei began to panic. The hands on the watch pointed to the door and Issei knew who was there.

Azazel, feeling guilty about this whole incident, and feeling sorry for his student if he died at Akeno's hands, Azazel gave Issei the chance to survive.

"Alright, I'll call Baraqiel. Hopefully he can distract her long enough for the Ray's effects to subside for the time being. However, if you do die, know that you were one of my favorite students." Azazel immediately teleported away through a magic circle, leaving Issei to ponder about how to survive the situation.

Draig took this time to mess with him, making the whole situation turn into a visual novel.

" _ **This is it partner. Are you ready? I'll try to help you as best as I can if a fight happens.**_ " Draig gave Issei mental support as Issei steeled himself to get out of the room and face destiny head on.

Suddenly, the red glow of his watch had returned to being white and the hands of his watch stopped glowing green.

With a sigh and deep breath of relief, Issei leaned against the wall.

"I think I lost a couple of years off of my lifespan." Issei thanked Maou for his stroke of luck as he exited the room.

* * *

He walked out to see Akeno, back to normal with light in her eyes, but Asia was still in tsundere mode. Rossweisse was still clingy but Issei had now classified her as dere-dere, which wasn't too bad.

Breakfast was laid out and after everyone had finished, Asia walked over to Issei in order to finish the complaint that she hadn't gotten the chance to complete.

"You owe me an outing. Today, you'll be my servant. Be grateful that I don't call Rassei and the good Evil dragons to come and bite you to pieces." Asia threatened him indirectly to come along with her.

With no other way out, Issei accepted. As Issei got up he noticed that the watch's hands were glowing green and were pointing at Asia, however, the watch turned a light shade of pink, with the hands returning to Akeno, who was casting a jealous glare at the two. All of the other women were doing the same but they had agreed to share him for the time being, during a meeting a while ago.

The two left the mansion and went to the arcade first, since Asia said that it had been a while since she had last gone, which Issei couldn't exactly remember when he had gone with her.

After playing a couple rounds of different games, Asia's eye was caught by a crane game. She had tried multiple times to get a small teddy bear that looked like a polar bear but every time she gotten close to getting it, it would slip out from her grasp.

Issei noticed her frustration and chose to win the bear for her. He had come to the arcade multiple times and had become an expert at the crane game.

After just one attempt, Issei had won the bear and presented it to Asia.

"Here you go, Asia." Issei handed the bear to her, to which she gently took with a blush.

"It's not like, I wanted you to win this for me." She retorted as she walked out of the arcade, with Issei in tow. However, when Issei wasn't looking, Asia had a smile of pure bliss on her face. He usual innocent and pure smile had returned to her whenever Issei wasn't looking.

After leaving the arcade, Asia dragged him around to multiple stores. They stopped by at a clothing store, where Asia made him look at each outfit she put on and give her a response.

Asia was currently wearing a white dress of silk with a blue jacket over it with shoes of white on her feet.

"So?" She asked expectantly.

Issei honestly thought that she looked cute and pretty in this outfit. It seemed to mirror the colors of her nun outfit and it wasn't very revealing either.

"I think that one's the best so far. I really like it. I think you look cute." Issei honestly complimented her and gave her a thumbs-up.

Asia immediately blushed like crazy and covered her cheeks as a deep red blush enveloped her expression.

"I-It's not like I'm trying to impress you or anything, baka!" She retorted as she went back inside the dressing rooms.

Contrary to her previous outburst, Asia was giggling happily to herself.

"He thinks I'm cute and he likes the outfit! Geez, Issei-san." She remarked to herself as she began to happily change back to her regular clothes.

When she walked out, she had her tsundere expression on and walked over to the cashier silently. Before she could pay, Issei cut in. He decided that he needed to show how manly he was and opted to pay.

"I've got this." He said as he paid the cashier.

"My, you two are such a cute couple. I remember when me and my husband were like you two." The cashier lady teased them as the two blushed from the comment.

"We-we're not a couple! He's just somebody who's helping me carry my bags right now!" Asia politely refuted her.

"Right. Right. Just know that some relationships start out this way." The cashier continued as the two left the clothing store.

Stopping by at a café on the way home, Issei and Asia ordered their food and began to eat silently.

"Sorry about walking in on you." Issei apologized, as he felt that he needed to do so, since the incident happened on pure coincidence.

"Hmph. It's fine." Asia pouted.

Issei noticed that as the day progressed, Asia was slowly starting to behave like less of a tsundere, and more like her old self.

A relief, really.

Issei looked at his watch and saw that the watch hands were slowly losing their green light and were turning blue as time passed.

* * *

"Asia, did you have fun today?" Issei asked her to test out if she was losing the effects of the Personality Ray.

Asia nodded as a blush creeped on her face.

"I'm glade. You've went through a lot so I wanted you to have some fun too. I'm glad." Issei felt honest relief that she had enjoyed her date with him.

"Thank you. I had a very wonderful time, Issei-san." Asia spoke with her tone returning to normal and her tsundere mannerisms fading.

When the two were finished, they decided to head home, since the sun was beginning to disappear from the sky and the moon started to rise.

"Issei-san." Asia called out to Issei.

"Huh?" Issei responded with an oblivious tone.

Asia rushed forward and gave Issei a long and warm kiss on the lips as she put her hands on his chest.

"Thank you for putting up with me." She smiled as she parted lips with him and proceeded to walk away with an innocent and bright smile on her face. Her heart was racing from what she just did but she felt that the sudden changes in emotion and personality within her had given her more courage to chase after his affections.

Issei felt his heart skip several beats but finally managed to calm down after a period of time.

" _ **You okay, Partner?**_ " Draig asked him, concerned at his emotional change.

" _Yeah, just fine, Draig._ " Issei replied calmly in his mind.

Not voicing his thoughts to Draig but to himself, Issei made a realization.

"I'm not sure if Rias, is the only one that'll be holding my heart anymore." Issei commented to himself as he ran to catch up to Asia. He felt his emotions grow stronger for each girl in his household, with each growing day, a sign that what he said was true.

However, he didn't think it would be so bad. He wanted to be Harem King, after all! Yet, he also wanted to be someone who could protect his loved ones.

 _ **Well, that's chapter 2. Read, review, and comment if you so wish, and I shall reply when I can. I'm debating about settling for the 9 girls but I want to add Gabriel and possibly other girls. Tell me what you all readers think. No guarantees about the harem count though. Till next time.**_


	3. Chapter 3: Cute and Cuddly

_**Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it. Thank you to all of the positive reviews so far and know that it encourages me to keep writing this story, even though I intend to finish it anyways. Enjoy. Oh and disregard the setting of where I make this happen since not a lot of things are going to make sense if I make things happen after volume 18 and before 19. I'll clearly state when this happens if I can get everything to make sense. I'll also adjust and re-upload stories if need be so that this story makes sense. Just read some stuff on Volume 20 so that gives me something to work with. I WARN YOU OF SPOILERS! FYI. Not sure if I'll stick with the Dere-types. I might just change personalities that aren't exactly in the Dere-type characteristics. Still, the girl's Personality Ray characteristics are still developing so nothing's certain. I will also try to stick to how I originally envisioned this story but even that is up for debate.**_

Bold words – Draig Talking Out Loud

Bold Italics – Draig Thinking

Italics – Issei thinking

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Cute and Cuddly**

The next morning at school, Issei was sitting in homeroom but noticed that Motohama and Matsuda weren't there.

He looked at his phone and saw a text from them.

It sort of went like this:

" _We went to a fashion show and saw some awesome beauties. We tried to get a closer look at the changing rooms but some giant lady bouncer beat the crap out of us. We're gonna be stuck in the hospital for a while. Matsuda's got a broken jaw and his arm and knee are dislocated. I've got bruises all over me and my left leg is in a cast. Make sure to experience some ecchi for us so that we can talk about it when we get back. Ecchi!"_

Issei was a bit bothered by the strange text message from Motohama and decided that he'd ignore it. Ever since he started dating Rias, he was much less perverted compared to how he used to be. This didn't mean that he had lost his lewd desires though.

Aika Kiryuu was sitting in the back and was talking with Xenovia, Asia, and Irina. Like usual, Kiryuu was trying to make the conversation take certain turns, specifically a teasing route.

Issei learned that last night, Asia hadn't completely gone back to normal. She was still acting Tsundere but she made fewer outbursts and shouts.

If anything, Issei could actually tease her and not expect a slap or injury.

"Say, Asia, you've been acting tsundere lately. Trying to make more moves on Hyoudou?" Kiryuu provoked her teasingly.

Asia blushed at the mention of his name and the mere thought of actually getting him to herself.

"No way! It's not like I want him to notice me. Issei-senpai is too blunt." She quickly denied but her heart couldn't agree more.

Kiryuu turned to Irina and began to target her as well.

"What about you, Irina? Isn't he your childhood friend? Don't you want to do ecchi stuff with him? You should hurry or else he'll get taken permanently. I heard that he's going out with Rias Gremory."

Irina merely blushed shyly as she tried to hide her expression.

Issei was a bit worried about her. She had been extremely shy and timid around him. Normally she was outgoing, passionate, and friendly. Now, she was shy and reserved and behaved like a nervous person.

Noticing that Irina wasn't going to exactly answer, Kiryuu shifted focus to Xenovia.

"Hey, Xenovia, are you going to use some power as Student Council President to make it ok for you and Issei to spend time together?"

Xenovia looked appalled and pointed an accusing finger at Kiryuu.

"Absolutely not! Such indecent intentions are something I would do. I would not do such indecent things like abusing power to court someone." Xenovia spoke with a flabbergasted tone.

Kiryuu was dumbstruck by how differently the Church Trio were acting. Normally, Asia would blush and wonder at Kiryuu's verbal antics, Irina would go off and make a prayer and Xenovia would walk over to Issei and suggest 'practice.'

The normally innocent and gentle Asia was a tsundere, Irina was a shy and bashful girl, and Xenovia was a much stricter and upright girl.

What happened?

Deciding to ask Issei about this, Kiryuu walked over to him.

"Hey, Hyoudou, what happened to those 3?" She put her hands on her hips in an investigative manner.

Issei breathed a sigh of exhaustion. The previous night, after Asia kissed him, he couldn't sleep and was thinking about the other girls non-stop.

"It's a long story. One that I can't explain. I'll just say that this only temporary." Issei muttered before the teacher's arrival became imminent.

Dropping the subject, Kiryuu returned to her seat and sat down, wondering if she could have some fun with the changes that the 3 had undergone.

* * *

With classes over, Issei walked to the ORC Clubroom, and was greeted by Koneko, who was munching on snacks like usual.

"Hi, Issei-senpai." She greeted cutely with her monotone voice having subsided a little.

" _ **Partner, looks like her nekoshuu nature has taken dominance in her. Azazel said that their personality changes haven't all developed so be careful if you make her personality change into one similar to that Akeno girl's. One of her is already enough.**_ " Draig warned Issei before he made his next move.

Issei mentally nodded and hoped that his poor choices of words weren't going to screw him over this time.

"Hey, Koneko-chan." Issei replied with a calm and casual tone. He looked at his watch and saw that it wasn't activating so he made a sigh of relief.

As soon as he sat down, however, Koneko got off of her seat and pounced onto Issei's lap. Sitting like usual, Koneko resumed eating.

Issei looked at his watch and the clock hands had turned bright green and pointed at Koneko.

" _NO!_ " Issei exclaimed mentally as he prepared himself for the worst.

Koneko twitched a little and brought her skewered yokan-bean jelly up to him.

"Issei-senpai. Have a bite." She smiled and gave Issei a cute smile. Her usual monotone voice was gone and was replaced with a more enthusiastic one with a cheerful hint.

Obliging her wish, Issei bit off a piece.

Koneko blushed as she took a bite from the same piece, making this an indirect kiss.

Issei blushed a little too at this sudden but daring action.

Koneko hummed happily as she smiled sweetly. Being with Issei and having some private time with just the two of them made her ecstatic.

"Issei-senpai. Do you think I'm cute?" She asked with a curious tone.

Issei merely smiled at her remark.

"Of course. I think Koneko-chan is the cutest." Issei patted her head as she rubbed against him.

"Nya. Nya. Nya." She purred a little as she cuddled with Issei.

" _SO CUTE!_ " Issei could feel his brain blow up as he laid witness to this cute display of cat-like behavior.

"Issei-senpai. Issei-senpai!" She cutely giggled as Issei let out manly tears of happiness.

The doors to the clubroom opened to reveal Xenovia walking inside.

"Such indecent behavior! Toujou-san, please get off of Hyoudou-san's lap!" Xenovia pointed at the 2 with a blushing face and accusatory finger.

Koneko merely clicked her tongue in a disappointed fashion and reluctantly got off.

Issei's watch immediately reacted and the time-hands pointed right at Xenovia with a green light.

'Oh boy.' Issei was going to get stressed out at this rate.

"Hyoudou-san, you shouldn't allow people to sit on your lap in such a shameless manner! Such behavior won't be tolerated at school!" Xenovia started to rant at him with words about proper conduct and being aware of decency.

Unfortunately, the concept of public decency was a little lost on Issei, since he was a perv.

"Hey, Xenovia. Are you feeling alright? You're acting weird." Issei gave her a worried look. He decided that he needed to determine how exactly her personality had changed. He needed to see if she went tsundere or yandere, or any other kind of dere.

"What do you mean?" Xenovia made a weird look.

"You used to tackle me with sexual comments and suggestions all of the time. Now, you're all strict and upright. What happened?" Issei's comments seemed to make something inside her mind jar itself.

"I…don't know. All I remember is a flash of rainbow colored light. That's it." Xenovia seemed to feel a bit fuzzy in the head when she tried to think and remember about what happened a few days ago.

" _I hope there won't be any long term permanent damage._ " Issei seriously hoped that the Ray's effects weren't at a detrimental point.

If anything happened to the girls in a really bad way, he'd be sure to punch Azazel in the jaw with his [Triaina Welsh Dragonic Rook] form.

"Anyways, disregard all of those sexual suggestions that I made in the past. I won't be doing such things now." Xenovia announced with a bold declaration.

Issei dropped the subject when he noticed that Koneko had snuck onto his lap again, causing Xenovia to make another outburst about decency.

"She's become a real disciplinarian." Issei and Koneko said at the same time.

Later, the rest of the new ORC had assembled in the old clubroom and Xenovia had left to begin meetings with the new Student Council.

"So for now, we'll do things as used to do like before." Asia declared, with a more outspoken tone.

Issei noticed that the girls were exhibiting their Ray behaviors more often than before.

Thankfully, Azazel had helped him remain calm.

" _The girl's new personalities will develop with certain interactions and then they'll subconsciously put their new personalities into action. Then, after a little while, their newly created personalities will disappear and then they'll go back to normal with no expected remains or side-effects_." Was what Azazel said.

Azazel had upgraded Issei's watch so it now had 8 hands so that Issei could tell the number of girls under the Ray's effects.

* * *

With the week over and the weekends approaching again, Issei had more worrying thoughts about the future.

He had gone out to fulfill a client request that night so he had arrived home considerably later than the others.

Issei had arrived home to his mansion and was greeted by a gifted pair of breasts at the door. A sight that Issei did not see coming.

' _Ah! I'm in Nirvana!_ '

Rossweisse was still under the Ray's effects but Issei wasn't too bothered by it. The Harem King in him relished this opportunity.

Rias and Akeno were also home and had managed to take care of most of their paperwork for university.

"Welcome home, Issei." The girls called out as they rushed to meet him at the same time but when Akeno saw Rossweisse pushing her chest into Issei's face, she twitched.

Issei's watch turned pink as it warned him of slight danger.

He remembered the color code going:

Dark Red – Near certain death situation

Red – Possibility of severe injury

Bright Red – Run away or fight

Dark Pink – Moderate injury

Pink – Slight danger

Bright Pink – Troublesome verbal situation

Issei looked at Akeno's eyes and saw that they hadn't turned yandere yet but he couldn't take that chance.

Issei gently pushed Rossweisse away as he attempted to change the atmosphere.

"Wow, I'm hungry! When will dinner be ready?" Issei chuckled nervously, with a bead of sweat going down the side of his face.

Rias and Asia were taking care of dinner that night, so Issei was in for a delicious meal. His parents were away on business and then vacation, courtesy of Lord Gremory, so that meant that he wouldn't have much explaining to do if the girls started fighting if they were home.

Rias looked jealously with teary eyes along with Irina as they merely glowered at Issei being crowded by the several women living in the Mansion.

Irina looked particularly sad since she couldn't openly express her strong feelings for him, since she was an angel. If she crossed a certain line, she'd fall and that would be it. However, Michael told her that he was working on something HUGE, so he asked that she and all of the other angels to brace themselves and to hold onto their faith.

What it was, however, Irina had no idea what.

"Hmph! Be grateful that Rias-Onee-sama and I are cooking glorious food tonight. But remember that the others will be upset with me if I didn't let you eat so don't think I'm doing this for you at all." Asia turned to the kitchen as Rias followed her to get to cooking.

Akeno and Rossweisse had taken the opportunity to sit with Issei on the couch, with each competing for his attention.

Issei was thankful that Akeno wasn't a 'true' yandere. Normally, a yandere would've severely butchered him already and the 'competition' but Akeno merely threatened and zapped people that got close to Issei. The other day, on the way home from the shopping district, a random girl tried to get with Issei. Being the perv that he is, Issei was too distracted to even say anything.

Issei could remember it very clearly too.

* * *

 **FLASHBACK:**

"Ara ara, ufufufu. Looks like Issei-kun and I get to be a couple today." She happily clung to Issei's arm as they walked down the street. She had entangled her left arm around his right arm and was resting her head on his right shoulder. Issei was holding the grocery bags in his left hand so what followed next was inevitable for him to get out of. He felt like he really was looking like a couple with her and it made him happy.

"Hey, cutie. Why don't you ditch that bimbo and come hang out with me?" Spoke a girl in a high-school uniform. She had shoulder-length purple hair, green eyes, and was quite cute.

Akeno immediately began to crackle with a literal shocking aura. The girl dove forward and wrapped her arm around Issei's left and began to try and seduce him.

"Say, don't you want to experience me, handsome? That girl looks so plain and boring like an antique. My body is so much more attractive and mature than hers. Don't waste your time with her and become my boyfriend." She whispered with a seductive tone.

Being a dumb perv at certain times ( _ **No I am not hating on Issei and I actually think he can be awesome but I think he gets distracted at the wrong times, sometimes**_ ) Issei made his perverted smile and was left speechless as the voluptuous girl began to wriggle her body up to him.

Seeing the look on Issei's face, Akeno's yandere side emerged.

"Why don't you back off, slut." Akeno muttered as her eyes went hollow.

"Huh?" The girl made a daring look at Akeno.

"Issei-kun is mine, nobody else's." Akeno muttered once again.

"Not anymore." The random girl was about to kiss Issei until Akeno shocked her with a weak surge of electricity.

"Ufufufufufufufufu. Looks like you need to be taught your place." Akeno walked over to her and shot weak volts of lightning at the girl but Issei stopped her before she went too far.

"Akeno-san, that's enough!" Issei called out to her but Akeno showed no signs of stopping.

Albeit, Akeno toned down her attacks to the point that her lightning was like a weak taser, too much would cause serious injury.

Issei lunged forward and stood in the way before Akeno could attack again.

When Issei looked at her, he was quite scared. No, he was scared senseless. Akeno was wearing her Sadist smile and had yandere eyes and was making her usual giggle. The mere sight sent chills up his spine.

"Akeno, no more." Issei warned her seriously.

Akeno was snapped back to her senses as she realized what she was doing. She immediately stopped and healed what damage she did to the poor girl and walked away, shame overcoming her.

Issei had to make sure this didn't turn into a problem so he called Azazel.

"Sensei, an incident happened, could you come and clean the situation up." Issei whispered into the phone.

Azazel merely made a sound of agreement and sent a clean-up squad to make things seem as if nothing happened.

Azazel had confirmed with Issei that he would take care of any damages and events that would be caused by the girls while they were under the influence of the Personality Ray.

Within minutes, a Grigori squad showed up and completely healed the girl and wiped her memory. They then proceeded to wipe the memories of everyone in the vicinity of what they may have just seen.

Issei grabbed the grocery bags and walked home, to which he saw that Akeno had turned back to normal for the time being, with no recollection of what just transpired before.

The whole time, Issei noticed that his watch had turned dark pink when he confronted Akeno.

For the time being, Issei had to make sure that nothing set her off.

 **FLASHBACK END**

* * *

Issei felt a bit guilty since the look on his face had propelled Akeno to go into yandere mode.

"Dinner's ready!" Rias called out as everyone proceeded to gather in the Dining Room.

The whole time, Rossweisse insisted on feeding Issei, who obliged. Strangely, Akeno didn't seem to have a problem with this particular sight. The only times she really went into yandere mode was when another girl tried to kiss him.

After dinner and after cleaning all of the dishes, everyone went their ways into their rooms but Koneko had something that she needed to do first.

She walked to Issei's room and knocked on the door.

Opening up to see Koneko, Issei cheerfully welcomed her.

"Did you need something, Koneko-chan?"

"Issei-senpai, are you busy this weekend?" Koneko was acting cute and outspoken, a sign that her other personality was in effect.

"Nope. I'll probably be free." Issei responded with a casual tone.

"Then, did you want to go to the amusement park?" Koneko felt a bit nervous with this part but she knew that he'd accept.

"Sure thing!" Issei agreed happily. He was happy that his cute little junior wanted to spend time with him, even if she called him a nasty perv in the past.

"Then, I'll meet up with you at the station at 1:00 pm tomorrow."

"Sure."

With matters decided, Koneko returned to her room as she tried to decide how she should prepare and dress up for her upcoming date with Issei.

The mere thought of having alone time with him for a night made her ecstatic. She had already run this idea by Rias and the other girls already and thankfully, nobody was behaving under the Personality Ray's effects so she had no trouble getting agreement from Rias, who was the official romantic partner for Issei.

The strength of her faith in Issei and her understanding of the other girl's feelings had made Rias mature greatly.

* * *

The next day, Issei had arrived at the station early at exactly 12:45 pm so that he could be early.

At exactly 1:12, Koneko came running to him as she bowed in apology at her tardiness.

"Sorry, Issei-senpai. I had some stuff to take care so I got here late." Koneko felt a bit bad since she was the one who planned the date and yet she arrived late.

Of course, this was not problem for Issei at all.

He merely patted Koneko on the head and comforted her worries.

"Don't worry, Koneko-chan. I'm not bothered at all." Issei couldn't help but admire the outfit that she had chosen to wear.

Koneko was dressed in a white coat, black sweater, and purple skirt with brown boots on. She had a purse slung over her shoulder and she looked absolutely adorable. ( _ **It sounds ugly, I know but I'm being random with the outfit and I'm just doing this to affect Issei and get a reaction out of him**_.)

"Let's go, senpai." Koneko grabbed Issei's sleeve and pulled him along as she led him to the carnival that she had wanted to go to.

At first, she was worried about the lingering effects that Raynare might have had on Issei but he reassured her that those scars were healed and gone.

They left the station and saw a massive amusement park that had a giant ferris wheel with several shops of food and games. There were also a several roller coasters that weren't to be underestimated.

"Alright, Koneko-chan, what do you want to do first?" Issei had turned into the secret gentleman inside him, like when he went on a date with Raynare.

Koneko pointed to the roller coasters and Issei obliged. Apparently, the roller coaster was called the Red Blasting Dragon. An ironic coincidence.

They bought tickets for 2 and entered the red and green roller coaster that was modeled after a dragon.

With seatbelts and seat restraints intact and in place, the roller coaster fired off.

The speed was so intense that it shouldn't have been safe. The speed was so strong that Issei felt like he needed to be worried for his own safety.

The powerful wind in his face made his cheeks shake and feel like his head was being pushed back.

The roller coaster looped 7 times and the speed made Issei give out yelps. He looked next to him and saw Koneko smiling and giggling enthusiastically in a carefree manner that made her seem like she was having the time of her life. A rare sight to see from her.

When they got off, Issei felt like he had lost a few pounds but he was allowed no rest when Koneko pointed him to another ride. It was called the Counter Clock Spinner.

" _ **Just when you thought things were bad enough. Hang in there, Partner**_." Draig encourage Issei as he staggered to his feet.

It was basically a ride modeled after a large clock with the seats being placed on one hand. Issei had a bad feeling about this but he wanted Koneko to smile and be happy.

Sitting in the seats of the clock-hand, the ride began slowly as it rocked back and forth.

"This isn't too bad." Issei commented but he realized that he spoke too soon.

The clock instantly sped up and began to rock back and forth more quickly, with the pace increasing very quickly.

Issei felt himself get light-headed as the speed and rapid sight around him get worse.

Finally, the ride hit a danger point for him as the clock hands began to spin full circles vertically as the clock hands began to move and zoom around the clock at a rapid pace.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Issei let out a loud shout as the speed had finally defeated him.

Koneko stood in her seat laughing at his distress until the ride was over.

Issei staggered off of the walkway and felt the world around him spin as his sense of balance faltered. He retched and wondered why he was the only one affected by the insane ride and so many others were walking away with smiles as if nothing had happened.

Before he could fall over, Koneko caught him with her monster-strength and gently carried him over to a bench.

"Sorry, Koneko-chan." Issei apologized sheepishly as he hunched over to try and shake off the nausea.

Koneko slowly patted him on the back to help ease him out of the nausea.

"No, I'm sorry for making you go on that ride with me. I didn't think that this would happen." Koneko made a sad look but Issei did what he usually did to help cheer her up.

He patted and rubbed her head to soothe her.

Like magic, Koneko's mood had brightened up once more.

"Come on, let's go and have some more fun. Point me at any game and let's play." Issei took her hand as he forced his nausea to go away so that his cute junior wouldn't worry again.

Koneko took him to play ranges of shooting games, arcade games, video game racing, and some sports and generally she took him on an adventure.

However, Koneko felt like it was him who took her on an adventure.

Growing up with only her sister, Kuroka, who eventually left her, Koneko was alone until Rias came along and brought her into her peerage, or rather, her family. Then Issei came along and brought peace to her soul when he vowed to always stop her if she lost control of herself.

Now, she felt that Issei had willingly endured the nauseous coaster rides and won several games for her so that she could make up for the years of solitude that she felt when her sister left her.

* * *

When the night grew late, the two headed home, with both having had their fill of food at the Amusement Park.

While walking down the street from the station, Koneko did something that blindsided Issei.

Koneko stood on her toes and brought her lips to Issei's. A warm and passionate kiss was shared between the two as Koneko silently conveyed her feelings to Issei once more.

"Thank you for letting me have such a fun day, Issei-senpai. It means a lot to me." Koneko thanked him with a blush before walking away, leaving a stunned and red-faced Issei.

The other girls were wondering what kind of date the two had when they all saw Koneko walk inside with a bright and cheerful smile on her face.

"Had fun?" Rias asked her, to which Koneko made cute nod.

To be honest, the girls were a bit jealous that Koneko got the chance to get some alone time with Issei but they knew that they'd get a chance to spend some alone time with him as well. They'd all make sure of it.

In the back, Xenovia was staring intently at Koneko's smiling face.

She was intrigued by her expression and her new strict mindset detoured and pondered about what a date would feel like with Issei.

Immediately, her heart went pitter-patter and her face began to heat up as an image came to her mind.

It was that of her and several other children, eagerly waiting for Issei to come home to the family.

Shaking her head to get rid of her thoughts, she scolded herself.

" _I can't be thinking of shameless things_." Deciding that thinking about this would corrupt her mind, Xenovia moved her mind to other random topics.

Still, her feelings for Issei were no longer about just breeding with him. Her feelings were now of romantic desire and they were getting stronger by the minute the more she thought about it.

 _ **And that's a wrap for a chapter on Koneko. Once again, thanks for reading and I'll be sure to consider everyone's suggestions. I won't guarantee that everyone's suggestions will be taken but I just want to know that attention will be paid. Also, Akeno will most likely be the only yandere since I don't want School Days to happen in here. That. Would. Be. Real. Bad. Anyways, read, comment, and review if desired and I shall see you all on the next update.**_


	4. Chapter 4: More Special Than You Think

_**Here is Chapter 4. I didn't think I'd make two updates in one day but here goes nothing. I had a hard time wondering about what to do with the girl for this chapter but I enjoyed doing it regardless. Hopefully its new and refreshing to you readers. I was actually gonna make Koneko go delinquent in Chapter 3 but I thought that was too far out there so never mind about that idea. Oh, and I can guarantee that I will a do at the very least, one chapter for each girl in Issei's harem. I'm actually trying to think of how to make 2 or 3 chapters for each girl. No promises on the previous sentence though. There is doing too much with this if I can't make a sufficient story. Still, it makes me happy that people are enjoying this story. I hope that this chapter will meet your expectations. Don't hesitate to let me know if it doesn't though. I feel that this one is subpar to the other chapters in certain aspects.**_

 **Bold words – Draig Talking Out Loud**

 _ **Bold Italics – Draig Thinking**_

 _Italics – Issei thinking_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: More Special Than You Think**

Xenovia had a rough night last night. She had spent a long night dreaming about Issei. She had scolded herself for having shameless thoughts about him ( _ **if you know what I mean, but nothing extreme though**_ ) but was also too busy trying to calm her heart down.

Ever since she started to wonder about what it would be like to have a relationship with Issei, even if she had to share him. Thinking about how dedicated he was to getting stronger for the sake of others and seeing how hard he tried to protect others, even if he didn't know them, had made her initial desire to merely have children with him turn into a wish to have a romantic relationship with him.

The next morning, Xenovia had woken up to a Sunday morning of quiet.

Eversince the Personality Ray had hit her, she stopped sleeping in the same bed as Issei. Rather, she wanted to but her new impulses urged her to show decency and restraint.

She wondered why the mansion was so quiet though. Normally, the girls would be arguing over Issei right now but she found that Issei's room had no racket coming from it.

After taking a morning shower, Xenovia stepped out of the shower close to her room, and walked out, wrapped only in a towel.

She saw that her door was left open and remembered that she had closed it. She brought her guard up and forced the door open, to reveal Issei, covered in her bras and panties.

She felt something new in her snap. An angry aura flared around her as she had now seen that his pervertedness had hit a new level. He had dug into her laundry and covered himself in her undergarments, for goodness sake!

"IIIIIISSSSSSEEEEEIIIIIIII!" Xenovia shouted with a strong red blush and slightly teary eyes as her privacy became violated and her personal belongings had been laid out bare and open. Breaking into a run, Issei cowered and tried to reason with her.

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! GGGAAAHHHH!" Issei begged for his safety as his watch turned dark pink (Moderate Danger).

She summoned Ex-Durandal and wacked him over the head the blunt side of the sword, creating a loud echo of a painful crash along with the frustrated growl of a certain girl.

Xenovia put Ex-Durandal to the side and awaited to hear Issei's explanation.

Issei, who had a small lump on his head, sat in seiza position ( _ **sitting with your legs folded forward and you're behind resting on your heels. Just informing to help solve confusion**_ ) and began to explain his story.

"Rassei and Ophis were playing and Rassei flew away. I chased Rassei in here and tried to find him but he flew out as soon as I tried to get him out of the laundry basket. That's why you saw me like that. I'm being honest."

Xenovia gave him a suspicious glare. She didn't exactly trust his words since he was a renowned pervert. Still, it's not like he hadn't seen anything new. She had already shown him her bare breasts and it wasn't like he hadn't seen her bras and panties before. It looked like her new personality was making her act this way.

'Man, the one time I don't have perverted intentions in a perverted situation, I get in trouble.' Issei mourned over his luck.

After looking Issei in the eye and acknowledging the fact that this wasn't anything new, Xenovia let him go.

"Thanks, Xenovia." As Issei got up however, Xenovia's towel unraveled, revealing her ample bust and her very private parts.

Xenovia's face went crimson red as she froze for a few seconds in shock and covered herself up.

"KKKKKYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAA!" Xenovia let out the most feminine and un-xenovia-like scream ever.

"ISSEI! YOU SHAMELESS JERK! I CAN'T BE A BRIDE ANYMORE!" She shrieked as tears gathered in her eyes.

" _WHAT?! THIS ISN'T EVEN NEW! I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING WRONG!_ " Issei complained as she would have normally tried to assault him already, yet now, she was acting shy and flustered. She was even crying!

" _ **You've got it really rough, Partner**_. _**And NOW! It's going to get worse."**_ Draig commented with amusement as he waited for the situation to worsen.

Soon, rumbling and shaking could be heard as Rias, Asia, and Akeno ( _ **oh, dear**_ ) ran up to Xenovia's room to see what was going on.

When they arrived, they were utterly shocked at the sights that they were seeing.

There stood Issei with a towel by his foot and a crying Xenovia, who was trying to cover herself up and was weeping in a tragic fashion.

What surprised them was how she was reacting though. Xenovia would've already pounced on Issei but it looked like Issei was the one doing the assaulting.

"Waaaahahaha! Issei, you dumb pervert! Stop looking!" Xenovia cried as her mind tried to find a cause for the blunder.

Asia rushed forward and began to comfort Xenovia by stroking her back and putting Xenovia's head on her shoulder to soothe her while covering her with the blanket from her bed.

"Shhh. There, there. It's okay. We'll be sure to pay Issei-san back for this." Asia whispered to Xenovia while giving Issei a vicious dark glare.

"Issei, were you trying to assault Xenovia, who has been pure of late?" Rias questioned Issei as he cowered in fear.

Akeno was giving a detestful glare to Issei. Both of the beautiful women began to produce powerful and angry auras that threatened to vaporize Issei for his supposed transgression.

Issei's watch had turned red and it even began to blink.

" _OH SHIT!_ " Issei began to beg the Maou for absolution, but it was his dragon partner who came to his rescue.

Feeling the tension in the air rise to a boiling point, Draig decided to save his host since he'd be in trouble to if his partner died.

" **Young ladies. Please don't misunderstand. My Partner here, was merely trying to catch the nun's dragon sprite but a few mishaps occurred and created several misunderstandings. You can ask the wielder of Durandal about what really happened. Her towel merely fell by coincidence and it made the girl shout.** " Draig spoke out through a glowing green circle on the back of Issei's hand.

 _"Thank you so much, Draig! I'm so sorry about all of that Oppai-Dragon trouble that I caused you."_ Issei tearfully thanked his partner as he avoided severe and brutal undeserved punishment.

Akeno and Rias immediately calmed down after Draig told about the previous events to them. With Xenovia's confirmation on Draig's claim, all was made right once more.

* * *

Now fully dressed and the tension diffused, everyone sat in the living room to settle matters.

"Sorry, Issei. I shouldn't have made you look like the bad guy." Xenovia apologized in seiza with a guilty expression.

The others followed suit as they realized their mistake and had almost caused him to undergo torture that he didn't even deserve.

"How can I make it up to you?" Xenovia asked with a blush as she worried that he would make her let him use [Dress Break] on her.

Issei merely waved away her worries and gave her a warm smile.

"It's not your fault that this happened. Don't worry." Issei was simply thankful that he didn't get punished without proper reason this time.

"No! I have to make up for what I did!" Xenovia got up and inched closer to Issei, with mere inches between them.

Noticing the small distance between their noses, Xenovia blushed and backed away.

"Sorry." She muttered as she tried to hide her blush by looking down.

What truly bothered her about the previous matter was that Issei had seen her completely naked and they weren't even close to being in a romantic relationship. She didn't actually mind in total truth but the circumstances were what caused her to yell out in disappointment and embarrassment. Sister Griselda also told her that a man should only see her very private parts if she were married to said man.

Why did she care about covering herself up now? That was something several asked and yet nobody knew an answer, well except for Issei but Azazel told him that it would be best if he didn't say anything about the Personality Ray. They didn't know what would happen if they remembered past events with their currently new personalities.

Issei wanted to make dirty request but he held himself back. Xenovia had just burst out crying a couple of minutes ago, so he wasn't eager to make it happen again.

Issei glanced at his watch and all of the clock-hands pointed at Xenovia with a green light.

Issei was lost at what he wanted to do but he decided that he'd drop the matter before anything else could happen again.

"Well, how about we drop the matter? Nobody was at fault so nobody should have to pay anyone back." Issei calmly stated.

Knowing that Issei wouldn't comply with her desire to compensate for him, Xenovia complied with Issei's wish.

Issei had remembered that he wanted to go and get some stuff for himself, like a new eroge that came out and some model magazines of some of his favorite stars for the adult industry.

After finishing breakfast, he had prepared to go out but Xenovia had come across him at the front door, for she had also planned to go out.

"Are you going somewhere, Issei?" She was curious about what he was doing and a part of her actually wanted to go out with him.

"Yeah, there's some stuff that I wanted to go get today." Issei finished putting his shoes and was about to head out until he turned around and saw Xenovia, wriggling in confliction about whether she should offer to go with him or not but she didn't want to seem clingy.

Using his awakened insight from being cured of Raynare's curse, Issei guessed that she wanted to go with him.

"Did you want to tag along with me?" Issei offered as Xenovia's face lit up with a wide smile.

"Yes." Xenovia agreed enthusiastically as she impulsively grabbed onto Issei's arm.

Noticing this, she immediately let go and backed away a little bit from him.

It seemed like the Personality Ray had awakened her desire to romantically chase after Issei. The kiss at Kyoto merely hinted at this.

Issei was taken aback by how excited she was at the mere prospect of going shopping with him,

Together, they left the mansion and went on their journey to find their heart's desires.

"What did you need to go get?" Issei casually asked Xenovia this question.

Xenovia remembered that what she wanted to get was private so she couldn't exactly tell him. Her impulses that were created by the Personality Ray, were beginning to influence her judgement as well, so the book that she wanted wasn't something that she would've naturally gotten.

Xenovia froze and decided to make up a lie.

"I wanted to find some more books about leadership so that I could be a better leader for the Student Council. I need to be able to learn how to think with my mind and to be more sensitive." She nervously spoke as she turned away to hide her guilty look.

"In truth, I wonder if I'm fit enough to lead when I'm not even emotionally perceptive. I used to be so cruel to Asia when I was still an exorcist and I still mostly use brawn over brains. I need to become a better person on the inside." Xenovia declared with flaring determination.

Issei merely smiled at her strong resolution. She kinda acted like him a little bit. She wanted to better herself to rid herself of her weaknesses and doubts.

"I don't think so." Issei spoke out, causing Xenovia to look at him with a surprised reaction.

Did he think she was worse than she thought?

"I think that you are a very caring person. When we all thought Asia died, you cried for her and dove at Shalba to avenge her. You also try your hardest to protect your friends and you work hard for others. I think you're a great woman. Well, I'm not very smart so it's not like my words are worth much." Issei sheepishly laughed while making an awkward smile.

"You're wrong. Those words actually mean so much to me that words aren't enough." Xenovia turned away and her voice grew tender and soft. Issei's observation of her character sent her heart flying and her happiness levels skyrocketed.

"Did you say something?" Issei turned around, not having heard what she just said.

Xenovia shook her head quickly.

"Nope. Nothing at all." Xenovia beamed a bright smile at Issei, who in response, felt his heart skip several beats at her smile.

* * *

Soon, the pair arrived at the bookstore and walked inside to see a large collection of novels, biographies, and several other printed works on shelves.

"We can split up here." Xenovia turned to Issei before walking away to a faraway aisle of books.

Feeling relieved that she wouldn't be standing with him when he went looking for his treasure, Issei took off for the…adult section, which was hidden faraway in the store, close to the back.

After hunting down his desired goods, Issei moved to the register and paid the cashier but then he remembered that he had to find Xenovia, who had wondered off to the aisle that had instruction and guidebooks.

He looked around and spotted her looking at a book. He walked over to her and tapped her shoulder.

Xenovia jumped and nearly dropped the book that she was looking at. Luckily, she caught it before it could make a loud thump on the ground.

She closed the book and placed it back on the shelf slowly and calmly before turning around to Issei, with a blush on her face.

"Don't do that." Xenovia scolded him before she noticed what Issei had in his bag.

"How shameless." Xenovia saw the dirty magazine and gave him a distasteful look before taking the books that she had in her hand and went to pay at the register.

"Shameless, I said, even though I was looking at such a book. I didn't even get it in the end." Xenovia pouted with her cheeks puffing.

She was so close to getting her desired object too but Issei had come across her while she was looking at it. She couldn't have possibly let him see what kind of book she was reading since she was against shameless acts of outspoken lechery.

With all of the shopping items on their individual lists, checked off. The two were ready to head home.

* * *

However, trouble decided that it would find the two again.

As the two were walking down through the streets from the station, they were stopped by 3 delinquents, all of whom looked like they were no more than troublemakers.

"Hey, sweetie, you wanna go and have some fun?" One of them looked at her with lustful and disgusting eyes. He ogled her chest, which caused her to sprout a tick mark on her forehead.

"I don't feel like interacting with shameless people." She replied curtly before one of the other guys stepped up to her.

"What'd you say? Who do you think we are?" One of the delinquents got in her face but that didn't do much to provoke her.

"Answer me!" Her silence only invoked rage in the third delinquent as he tried to punch her in the face. Xenovie merely grabbed one of the delinquents and blocked the punch with his jaw.

The punch knocked out the delinquent and Xenovia proceeded to kick the third delinquent in the face and proceeded to punch him in the chest two times before spinning around and kicking him across the face, sending him plummeting to the ground in a fainted state.

The last delinquent wanted to back off but seeing the taunting grin on Xenovia's face incensed him to attack her, although it was futile.

Xenovia dashed behind him and hit him behind the head, knocking him unconscious as he dropped to his knees.

Xenovia merely let out a sigh. She was a bit irritated about having to deal with local thugs on a day off, especially when she knew that days off were going to be in short supply in due time.

Issei was about to intervene but he knew that Xenovia would be able to deal with the weak riffraff.

As the two were about to leave, the three delinquents got up again, although battered and bruised, they could still walk.

"Tch. Some fighter chick like you, nobody would want. Guys like pretty and submissive girls. Some alien like you would never get a guy, you charmless bi- "The delinquent speaking couldn't finish his words before Issei charged at him and punched him right in the mouth, knocking out his teeth and sending him skidding across the ground.

"I don't like it when others badmouth my friends and comrades. If you wanna get all of your teeth knocked out, then get ready." Issei threatened the three with an angry glint in his eyes.

Having understood his message, the other delinquents frantically apologized and bowed before picking up their colleague and running away with frightened yelps.

Issei looked back at Xenovia and saw that she had a worried and disturbed look on her face.

Something they said had hit a chord in her and it bothered her immensely since she agreed with them to an extent. If she weren't under the Ray's effects, she'd have probably paid less attention to the delinquents.

"Xenovia, you okay?" Issei looked at her in worry, but she lied, acting as if she were fine when she wasn't.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Issei." She made a light chuckle but this only made Issei more curious about how she was feeling.

* * *

On the way home, they had stopped by a burger restaurant since Xenovia's stomach grumbled when they passed by it.

"Gah!" Xenovia blushed when her stomach let out a strong and loud rumble.

"Hahahaha!" Issei let out a good-hearted laugh when he heard her hunger echo.

"Sh-Shut-up!" Xenovia retorted at him as she put a hand over her stomach in an attempt to silence it of its cries.

"Sorry. How about we get something to eat?" Issei suggested kindly as he pointed at the burger joint next to them.

Xenovia nodded as the two went inside.

While eating, the two began to converse in conversation, but slowly, the conversation took a deeper tone.

"Hey, Issei, what do you plan to do with Irina? How do you feel about her?" Xenovia wa curious since Michael had created that special room where mating was possible for an angel without them falling. With Irina's strong connection and history to him, Xenovia felt insecure about being able to compete with her.

She, a woman who had merely brawn and a stubborn head, ( _ **this isn't my honest opinion**_ ) had small chances of winning against Asia and Irina. Even though she would provoke flirtatious attempts at Issei, she secretly felt like she had less chances of capturing a piece of his heart, if not the whole thing.

"Well, she's my childhood friend, and I do feel something for her, but we're not exactly 'there' yet. I think I'll wait to see if anything develops first. I feel as if there's a spark there somewhere in me. There's something in my heart that helps attract me to her." Issei gave her his honest opinion. Something that Xenovia was a bit glad about. This would give her time to make a move on him and would give her a chance to advance her relations with him.

"Say, Issei, what about Asia?" Xenovia's tone grew shakier as her worries grew stronger.

 _'That Personality Ray is a more serious problem than Azazel-sensei and I thought. To think it'd make her seem this vulnerable and fragile.'_ Issei was quite a bit worried at how much more sensitive and fragile she was but Issei had to give his honest opinion.

"Yes…I do love her romantically too. She's gentle and kind is never violent on a natural level. She's always willing to help and she is always forgiving of others no matter what she endures. I love that part of her." Issei felt terrible for throwing this in her face since it seemed like Xenovia's mood was sinking with every word that he said about Asia and Irina.

Downtrodden was an understatement for how she was feeling right now.

Her sense of defeat was starting to take hold of her and Issei knew that he had to find out why.

"Xenovia, why are you asking all of this?" Issei was growing concerned about her as she looked like she was at a breaking point.

"Nothing. I just wanted to know." Xenovia made a fake smile and tried to look convincing but Issei knew something was amiss.

Leaving the restaurant, the two returned home in silence.

* * *

Putting his things away, Issei decided that he needed to talk to Xenovia about what was going on at the restaurant.

He walked to her room and knocked on the door gently.

No response from the other end.

Issei knocked again but found silence again.

"Xenovia?" Issei called out through the door, hoping to get a reaction.

Issei looked at his watch to see if it would detect anything and he found that it did not fail him.

His watch's clock hands glowed green and pointed right at Xenovia's door. The whole day, the watch was pointing at her and Issei decided that enough was enough.

"Xenovia! Open up!" Issei called out calmly with a more forceful time.

On the other side of the door, Xenovia was in a sobbing fit. She had her head between her knees and she sat with her back to her door.

This was so strange. The blunt and strong Xenovia was sobbing like a girl that had just lost the love of her life.

It seemed like the words that the delinquent had said to her had affected her more than she let on.

She had spent the time from when she had gotten home, to now, crying in her room as her mind tortured her with the small chances that she had at obtaining some of Issei's affections since she knew that he loved other girls.

However, there stood the fact that out of all the girls, she had the least involvement with his past and she had the least intimate moments with him.

Yes, they were comrades, but that didn't mean that she would have the most meaningful and major memories with him

She remembered how Issei requested and begged Michael to allow her and Asia to pray again. This act made her overjoyed since she could continue her faith but it also started the development of her feelings for him.

It hurt to know that she probably wouldn't have a shot at having a child with him, let alone have a family.

Of course these were all fabrications but she didn't realize that.

She had spent a while sobbing in her room, thinking about how the other girls had advantages over her. Rias was his girlfriend and main lover. Akeno was always spoiling and teasing him but she would also help him. Asia was always gentle and forgiving and Issei had went into [Juggernaut Drive] just for her. Koneko was constantly trying to heal his life force with senjutsu so she had extra private time with him. Irina was his first kiss and childhood friend so she knew him better than most. Rossweisse was always giving him guidance and she could cook, clean, and was extremely intelligent. Lastly, Ravel was his manager and she was an excellent strategist who was always close to Issei.

She had the least intimate interactions with him and it felt like she was at the bottom.

However, she was wrong.

Outside of the door, Issei summoned the [Boosted Gear] and enhanced his hearing since she wouldn't reply.

He heard sniffling through the door and he decided that he'd been negligent enough for one day. He forced the door open with a strong push and surprised Xenovia with a loud crack from her door.

She turned around with bloodshot eyes and turned away to hide her face.

"What are you doing Issei?" Xenovia questioned him with a frustrated tone.

Issei trudged over to her and sat right in front of her.

He put both hands on her shoulders and prevented her from turning her body away.

"Xenovia, tell me the truth. What's wrong?" Issei asked with a concerned and gentle voice.

Xenovia couldn't lie anymore, she couldn't hold back.

She bit her lip and tried to repress her emotion but it all came out, regardless.

"I-I can't." She whispered, barely loud enough for herself to hear.

"What?" Issei asked again.

He saw Xenovia's tears trickle down her face and fall onto her lap and knew that whatever this was, it wasn't the work of the Personality Ray alone.

"I can't compete with the other girls!" She confessed to him with a red sobbing face and tearful eyes.

"What? Why?" Issei was truly confused. Back then, until recently, she was always trying to take the chance to make a move on him but now she was surrendering?

"All of the other girls, they have the advantage! They have relationships that are so much closer to you! They have more special memories with you! They have better traits than me! They can cook, clean, and they can understand what's going on in the atmosphere! All I can do is break and destroy things! Why did I ever think that I could get some of your attention and affections? I have nothing to be exceptional for and I know other men wouldn't want a girl like me!" Xenovia ranted as she let out all of her repressed thoughts out. She sobbed and refused to meet his eyes as she stayed in the same position.

Issei made a sigh and was ready to prove her wrong.

He gripped her shoulders, and brought her head onto his shoulder and comforted her by patting her head and rubbing her back to calm down her sobs.

"Xenovia, you and all of the girls are unique. You all have great traits and bad traits like any other living person." Issei spoke softly to her as she still cried.

"Like what?" She questioned him as she couldn't find an answer herself.

"You're strong, resilient, and you care so much for your friends. When Asia was nearly killed by Shalba, you were the first to charge at him in anger and vengeance just to pay him back for Asia. You tried to help Gya-suke with his fears in order to help him grow. You made sure that he didn't lose on purpose during the match with Sairaorg's peerage. You care so much for your friends that you're strong for them. I think that puts you on equal footing with the other girls. You stand up to others and you stick to your beliefs and your confident. Even when I reject your advances, you bounce back. So what makes you think that you're at a disadvantage. It's true that Rias and Asia hold a part of my heart, but, you also hold some of it too." Issei's words left Xenovia stunned.

 _"He-He thinks of me like that?"_ Xenovia couldn't be more overjoyed. The one thing she wasn't confident about, wasn't true. She did hold a part of his heart. He did have feelings of her. She did have good traits. All of her fears and self-inflicted mental torture were for naught, for it was all just a fabrication in her mind.

Issei inched closer to her and did something that was to never be expected of him.

He kissed the girl first.

He brought his lips against her soft ones and deepened it with her as her sobs stopped and rejoice took hold of her emotions.

She was now crying happy tears as she realized that even if she couldn't have all of Issei's love. She still had it, even if it was a piece.

They soon parted lips and Xenovia wiped away her tears.

She smiled brightly at Issei and hugged him.

"Thank you, Issei." She whispered to him as Issei returned the hug.

"Of course, Xenovia." Issei whispered back to her.

"By the way, what was that book that you were looking at before at the shop?"

Xenovia blushed but she knew that she'd die of embarrassment at the shamelessness of the book that she was going to buy originally.

Of course, she lied about it again.

"It was about fashion and makeup." Xenovia lied off of the top of her head and thankfully for her, Issei believed it. In truth, it was a book about how to seduce and confess feelings to someone. She had scolded her shameless intents when she thought about it.

"I see. I think that you look beautiful enough already, though."

"Be-Beautiful." Xenovia stammered as she felt her face turn red and her heart started jumping for joy.

Bashfully turning away, Xenovia tried to hid her embarrassment but Issei wouldn't have that.

He stretched his hand out to her, inviting to come out with him so that she could see for herself, how beautiful and unique she was, compared to the others, who were also unique in their own ways like she was in her own.

Deciding that she had spent enough time thinking negative thoughts, Xenovia left her room with Issei to go join the others downstairs in the Living Room.

When Irina caught sight of the look that the two shared, she knew that Xenovia had advance her relationship. She was happy for her. However, she felt an empty feeling in her that was followed by sadness.

Being an Angel, she couldn't actively pursue him or she would fall if she wasn't careful. She thought that all hope of trying to seduce and actively show her feelings to him were lost but once more, Michael came to her rescue.

The project he was working on had indeed been huge, and he was going to reveal what it was by tomorrow night.

* * *

 _ **Yeah I know, this chapter wasn't very funny but I couldn't add more than 2 genres to the story so what can I say? I decided to test out my ability to use drama for this one. I know how different Xenovia is but she was under the Personality Ray's effect the whole time so forgive me if you were wondering. Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Read. Review. And I will see you next time.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Much More Daring

_**Hopefully, this little twisting of story material is suitable to your liking and to my convenience. You may be surprised by what it is in store. I've decided that I'll add Gabriel so Gabriel fans, know that I'm planning on making a chapter(s) for her! I'm excited to do it too!**_

 **Bold – Draig speaking out loud**

 _ **Bold Italics – Draig thinking**_

 _Italics – Issei or other characters thinking_

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Much More Daring**

The next day, Irina was waiting for Michael to call all of the Angels so that he could reveal what it was that he had discovered.

Homeroom class was starting and all Irina could think about was Issei. Her thoughts lingered on how she wanted to be with him. How she wanted have a future and family with him. How she wanted him all to herself. Still, she understood and respected how Issei loved Rias and Asia.

Being an Angel, she couldn't openly do the seductive and ecchi acts that the other girls could do. If she crossed a certain line, she would fall and her dreams and spirit would shatter.

When she thought about it thoroughly though, she didn't actually mind falling if it was for Issei. Yet, her faith and her father's pride also came to mind when she thought about falling. Her mind became conflicted and she could tell that her wings were flickering between black and white. She had to stop herself before she really did fall.

Secretly, she had not so innocent fantasies of him. It was happening recently and more frequently. It all really started a few weeks before. Irina couldn't remember what was going on but all she could recall was a bright flash of rainbow light, specifically, she could remember seeing a pink light and that was it.

When lunch came, Issei walked over to her, with lunch in hand. Xenovia was having lunch with the Student Council since they were still in the midst of getting ready to take up office. Asia was

"Hey, Irina, want to go have lunch together?" Issei suggested.

Irina began running hundreds of simulations in her mind. Many were of sensual natures.

" _Does he want to do something with me? Does he want to eat…me?_ " ( _ **trying to stay rated T but I'm still confused about whether this story is rated T or not. I'm not going to put anything explicit on here though.**_ )

Irina didn't finish her thought as she snapped back to reality. Irina merely nodded as she felt embarrassed by her lewd thoughts of him.

Issei was in anticipation and fear. He had still yet to see the whole of Irina's personality change. The other girls were already exhibiting their new personalities very often now, especially Rossweisse, but Issei felt that Irina wasn't letting much on though, as if she were subconsciously holding herself back.

Issei knew that he needed to talk to Azazel again. He still didn't know enough about what the Personality Ray was doing to the girls and he wasn't taking chances to wait if something bad was going on. The crying that he saw Xenovia go through was enough to warrant him to knock on Grigori's door.

* * *

Eating outside, Issei and Irina were actually silent throughout most of the lunch period, until Irina broke the silence.

"Hey, Issei-kun, what happened with Xenovia yesterday?" Irina's tone was curious and Issei responded with a nervous look.

"What do you mean?" Issei was a bit hesitant to mention the kiss that he used to comfort Xenovia the previous night. He couldn't mention because he'd have upset girls looking him in the face.

"We just talked and I said some stuff to her because she was feeling down." Issei gave out a half-truth as Irina looked at him with suspicion.

She could tell that Issei was lying since she knew him so well.

Irina kept glaring to get Issei to spit out the truth. Her attempts were successful as Issei felt discomfort course through him.

This was new, normally, she wouldn't have resorted to using a glare to make him intimidated but what she did next kinda bothered and scared Issei a little.

Irina materialized a club of light and aimed it at Issei's head.

"WHA-!?" Issei exclaimed in alarm.

"I also heard that you tried to assault Xenovia and that she was crying. Is that true?" She spoke ominously, with Issei looking at her in alarm. Her voice was irritated and even angry.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! It was a misunderstanding. I was chasing Rassei and he left Xenovia's room and then she walked in from the showers and her towel fell off and she got embarrassed and she started crying and then Asia, Rias, and Akeno came up to the room and they thought that I tried to assault her but I didn't and Draig can tell the whole story!" Issei ranted in quick desperation. Light was dangerous and poisonous to Devils so getting hit with a club of light was not something he could allow. Light hurt like heck.

She knew he was a pervert but even Issei had his decency.

Deciding to trust his confession, Irina put the subject aside as the bell for the end of lunch rang throughout the school campus.

* * *

Evening soon came.

Irina had received a call from Michael through a magic circle, telling her and every other angel in existence to return to Heaven for a short amount of time. Of course, Michael had already told the other leaders of the Three Factions about what he was going to do and with much time and argument from others, Michael was allowed to make today's events happen.

Judging from Michael's cheerful tone, something good must have been happening.

She went to Heaven and immediately returned to see Heaven as it was being repaired from the attack that Qlippoth had mounted on it.

She passed through the Gates of Heaven and traveled down the white stone path and went to

The First Heaven. Michael had granted everyone special permission to come to the First Heaven so that he could show everyone the surprise that he found.

After all Angels had assembled in the First Heaven, they were amazed to see a large white room with a radiant throne of white with numerous magic circles everywhere with 2 large bundles of magic circles in the middle of the room. One was the Sacred Gear System and the other was the System that Michael had become the Center of.

Michael appeared in a golden flash of light and appeared over everyone so that he could be heard by everyone.

"Everyone, I have discovered something of great importance. While searching into the system that our Father had created and left behind, I found something that I believe, was left behind for us. I think I found the solution to our shortage of Angels." Michael happily declared as several gasps of surprise and shock echoed throughout Heaven.

Michael raised his hand with patient grace and continued speaking.

He materialized a white box with golden markings. The box gave off unbelievable radiance and it pulsed with strong holy energy. It had power that was of unsurmountable class.

"My brothers and sisters, remember, keep your faith strong and your hearts pure, for this shall test us all." Michael warned everyone as he opened the box. The box had let out blinding light and it had spread throughout the whole world and all of its planes of existence.

When the light died down, the box evaporated into white mist.

Everyone looked around and felt that something within them had changed. Something was…free.

Michael saw everyone's surprised reactions and began to elaborate.

"I found a recorded message from our Father. The box that I opened, was a box that was meant to be a parting gift to us. It will allow us to love and live more freely. We can now create and repopulate our people now, like how humans, Devils, and Fallen Angels can. We can now no longer fall from mere thoughts. However, deeds of extremely lustful debauchery, mass and unjust murder, and other sinful acts, will still make us all. Still, we can now let our people prosper once more. The birth and raising of Angels will be at the same rate as that of Fallen Angels. My brethren, I am happy to say that, we are free to love now, openly. That is all that I wanted to do and say. You may return to what you were previously doing." Michael spoke with happy and cheerful attitude as he left in a flash of light.

Behind Irina, Michael appeared and decided that he'd clear her doubts.

"Hello, Irina." He calmly spoke.

Irina turned around and bowed in respect and reverence.

"Michael-sama. Is it true?" Irina looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Michael merely smiled radiantly.

"You can now freely love Hyoudou Issei-san now. You can advance your relationship however you want. I still encourage you not to go too far though. Shameless acts of debauchery will not be so easily looked over by the System. Show some restraint when you try something." Michael warned Irina with gentle advice and soon left to meet with Sirzechs and Azazel.

Irina wanted to scream like someone who's dream just came true. She could now freely pursue Issei with no strings attached and less restraint involved. Angels could even breed now without falling or using any rituals. It was a dream come true. Still, the Angels could still fall if they went too far with their desires and deeds.

She decided that she wanted to share the good news, and returned to the Hyoudou residence that evening to share the news with Rias's peerage.

She teleported back to the Hyoudou Residence's basement and made her way to the Living Room.

Everyone had gathered for dinner, excluding Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou and the boys from the ORC. Kiba was still with Tosca, Gasper was helping Valerie with rehabilitation and Issei was out taking care of client requests.

This made things work out for her.

If Issei were here, Irina would've been too shy and scared to say anything about what just happened.

When dinner was cleared away, Irina made her announcement. Her vigor had remained with her but had instantly left when she was about to talk about Issei.

"E-Everyone." She muttered with a low voice.

At first no one heard her, so she had to speak again.

"Everyone!" She said a bit more loudly as everyone's attention was grabbed by her louder call.

"There's something that I wanted to tell all of you." Irina spoke with a low and bashful tone.

Everyone looked at her with calm curiosity and waited for her to sum up the courage to talk.

"Today, Michael-sama made a discovery concerning the Angels."

Everyone's curiosity had grown when Michael got mentioned but nobody interrupted her.

"Michael-sama found a magical box left behind by the Holy Father and Michael-sama said it was a parting gift and solution to the Angel's low numbers. The gift inside the box was a light that let all Angels pursue love and desire freely within less strict moral boundaries. We, Angels can breed like regular Devils, Fallen Angels, and Humans now." Everyone's jaw dropped at this revelation.

The once strict and upright race of the Three Great Factions, was now able to mingle and love freely now. This was a truly surprising revelation!

"So, does this mean what I think it means?" Rias asked her calmly with a knowing tone, this was happening all too commonly now.

"Yes, now that this has happened, I'm going to actively pursue Issei-kun romantically from now on." She bashfully declared.

Everyone recognized how much of a rival she could be and agreed to take the challenge head on. Even though Issei and Rias were officially a couple, it was no secret that Issei had made his harem already. The girls were still competing for his attention.

When Issei returned from his contract work, he seemed tired beyond reason.

He wanted to get to bed but his stomach was raging for him to eat something so that he wouldn't suffer at school tomorrow.

Warming up his food, he took a bite and immediately smiled from the deliciousness.

"This is Rias cooking, alright. I can tell how the spices are added in different amounts and I can sense the emotion put into this." Issei gratefully engorged himself with his beloved girlfriend's food as the void in his stomach was filled and his appetite restored and sated.

He ventured upstairs and showered and changed into a shirt and shorts and climbed into his bed. He expected Rias and Asia to be waiting in bed for him but he had found that all of the girls, even Xenovia, who was ranting about shameless behavior to him in the past, was awaiting him in bed.

Issei found that he wasn't going to get into his bed since there was barely any space for him.

Suddenly, Irina stirred and opened her eyes to see Issei. She sat up from her position on the bed and smiled shyly at him.

"We-Welcome home, Issei-kun." She stared nervously at him. Every time she looked at him now, her heart would beat faster and would start racing when romance became involved.

"Yeah. I'm back." Issei returned her welcome warmly.

"Looks like everybody took up space on the bed tonight." Irina inspected around her and found no open space for him to creep into, except for next to her of course. She was at the farthest side of the bed and saw that she had room at the edge of the mattress.

She didn't want to sleep somewhere else where Issei wasn't and she wanted to use this chance to try and get closer to him as well. Ever since Christmas, after the incident of Heaven's attack, Irina was much more daring in her attempts at his affections and she didn't worry about falling as much anymore. She even stuck on the special door knob that her father gave her so that she could lure him into the room that was put in a different dimension.

Now, she would look away in a mad blush and she wouldn't even look him in the eye.

In truth, Irina had a dozen simulations of how she would try to get closer to Issei so that he would notice her feelings and take an active response to them.

She scooted to the side and patted the empty spot next to her, signaling for him to come and lie down next to her.

Seeing that he might as well just do it, Issei walked over to her and lied down next to her. This was his bed after all, so he might as well sleep in it. To his right, Xenovia, and to his left was Irina, who so kindly moved over for him to sleep next to her.

" _I don't have to restrain myself anymore_." She told herself.

" _ **Partner, it seems like this girl wasn't as drastically to the same degree as the other girls. She seems shy compared to normal but there's something else. Something…. hidden**_." Draig informed him mentally.

Issei took his information seriously but then he felt Irina's arm pull her close to him. She rested her head on his chest and snuggled up to him.

"Isseeiii" Irina whispered seductively to him in an erotic voice.

Her cute and stimulating voice sent chills up Issei's spine.

" _Now, we've come to it! Is she tsundere? Yandere? Which is it?_ " Issei steeled his nerves and prepared for the worst.

"Issseeiii. I'm cold, can you hold me? The other girls took the blankets and I didn't bring one." Irina weakly moaned as she rubbed her shoulders to warm herself up.

It seemed reasonable since it was winter and there were no blankets for the both of them. The extra ones had all been taken by the other girls.

Seeing as how Issei's body was that of a dragon's now, he was far more resistant to the cold.

Using the situation to her advantage, Irina was going to try and use her charm to get intimate with Issei. It wasn't fair that he only paid special attention to Rias only. The other girls felt that way too.

"Huh?" Issei was alarmed by her daring direct request.

Irina looked up at him and gave him puppy-dog eyes.

"Please?" She pleaded with the most desperate expression she could make.

Irina decided that she would catch up in the race for his attention.

Choosing to oblige her and his perverted tendencies winning him over, Issei wrapped his left arm over her shoulder, albeit a bit hesitantly, and allowed it to rest there.

Irina breathed a comfortable sigh and scooted into his arms even more.

"Yes, step one complete." Irina made a victorious look and proceeded to go to sleep, knowing she'd need rest for tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Issei began to struggle for air as he awoke from his peaceful slumber. Muffled complaints and struggles tried to escape from him but his cries fell on deaf ears. Thankfully, his physical movement brought attention to him.

"Ah! Sorry, Issei-kun!" Apologized a familiar voice.

Air flooded into Issei's lungs as he gasped. An embarrassed Irina removed her torso from Issei's face.

"It's fine." Issei muttered out. This comment was going to be his undoing, however.

"Oooh? So you like this?" Irina rested herself on his torso and brought her face closer to Issei's with mere inches being the distance between them.

"Irina?" Issei was curious as to why she was being so flirtatious.

"Hmmm?" She brought her face close to Issei's ear.

"What is it, Issei-kun?" Irina spoke slowly in a sensual and arousing voice.

The air of her breath tickled Issei's ear and caused to blush a little.

" _She's acting like Rias and Akeno-san! She's turned into a temptress_!" Issei exclaimed mentally. His words seemed panicked but he was actually enjoying the moment.

"Ehehehehe." Issei made a perverted chuckle but he felt 2 auras sizzle and crackle as he turned to his right and saw Akeno's and Asia's auras erupting.

"Issei, you dummy. People are trying to sleep." Asia scolded Issei as a golden dragon-shaped aura sprouted around her.

" _Stupid Issei, you could've done this with me_." Asia pouted in her mind.

"Issei-kun. Flirting with another woman. Flirting with an Angel, no less. Being taken." Akeno muttered with broken speech and a hurt glare.

Issei began to panic as his watch turned red and 3 of its hands glowed green and pointed at Irina, Akeno, and Asia.

"Wai-Wai-Wait! I haven't even done anything yet!" Issei sat up and backed up to the edge of the bed, a safe position for him if he needed to run.

"Yet!" "Yet." "Yet." The three girls said at the same time, with Asia being accusational, Akeno being despairing, and Irina being seductively suggestive.

All of the other girls woke up due to the commotion and were staring at the spectacle in front of them.

"What happened?" Rias, Rossweisse, Koneko, Xenovia, and Koneko looked up to 2 raging women, 1 flirtatious Angel, and a panicking Red Dragon Emperor.

"Issei-kun!" Rossweisse rushed to protect Issei as she prepared for the worst.

"Ok! That's enough!" Rias' voice echoed in the room as she calmed everyone down with her strict tone.

"You should all already know that something like this would happen frequently, so stop raising a fit so that the underclassmen can get ready for school." Rias glared at anyone to challenge her authority to start a fight.

Her mother's words about taking charge of the harem had rung in her head as she decided to show some confidence in being the 'legal' wife and maintain order.

Complying with Rias, all of the high school students went their own ways to get ready for school.

Irina looked back at Issei and winked at him as she blew a kiss at him.

Issei made a goofy grin but was set back on course by Akeno glaring at him and Irina.

* * *

At school, with lunch beginning, it was only Irina and Issei left again. They were eating lunch on the school roof and Irina happened to be feeding Issei.

"Here, say ahhh" Irina cutely brought a meatball to Issei's mouth.

Complying with her, he opened his mouth and ate the meatball, savoring it.

It was a little spicy but it had plenty of flavor from soy sauce, salt, and had bits of green onion and ginger inside it.

"How is it?" Irina asked with a worrying gaze.

"It's good!" Issei gave his honest opinion.

Irina immediately broke into a smile and giggled.

"Thank, God. I was hoping it was good. I actually thought that I did a bad job." She was relieved as the fruits of her labor proved to be uplifting.

Issei gave her a shocked expression.

This delicious food and savory soup that she had brought for the both of them were made by her? The last time he tried her cooking, he had spent a few hours on the toilet with diarrhea tearing his insides up.

"Yes." Irina have him a proud look.

She was aware that her cooking was terrible so she spent an unbelievable amount of time learning how to cook from Issei's mother and the other girls.

Now, she was getting closer to Asia's level of cooking.

"Hey, Issei, since I fed you, can you feed me?" Irina gave Issei puppy dog eyes and made a desiring expression.

Issei blushed a little when he noticed that how cute and pretty she looked. From her beautiful hair, her faithful and kind eyes, to her beautiful figure.

He couldn't help but blush when he picked up on her many positive traits.

"Um, you sure?" Issei hesitated to which Irina responded by nodding enthusiastically.

Picking up some fried shrimp tempura, he carefully placed it in Irina's mouth.

Irina let out a delighted sound as she chewed and swallowed her food.

She was delighted that her cooking had impressed Issei but she was truly delighted when she just did something a lover would do with his or her partner.

With the bentos over and done with, there was still plenty of free time for the lunch period.

Irina took this chance to make Issei sleep on her lap. She wanted to do so many things with him and now she would do things slowly at a memorable pace.

"How does it feel?" Irina brightly beamed down at him. If she weren't already one, Issei would call her an Angel.

"It's awesome. I'm in bliss." Issei closed his eyes and smiled as he rested himself due to the pure comfort and relaxation he was in.

Suddenly, he sensed something touching his chest and saw Irina trailing her hand around his torso.

"I-Irina, what are you doing?" Issei knew where this was going.

"Why, I'm only trying some skinship." She deviously smiled at him.

She moved her hands further and further down his body, towards his nether regions, before Issei grabbed her hand and sat up.

"Irina, aren't you…afraid of falling?" Issei asked her with a very serious expression.

Irina merely shook her head and decided that the time was now to tell him what had happened.

"Issei-kun. There's something I should tell you." Irina then began her story.

After the tale was over, Issei was in pure and utter shock.

"So Angels can't fall from lust and desires anymore?" Issei was flabbergasted.

Irina merely shook her head.

"Yes we can fall from excessive lust. Things like merely offering yourself to random others out of pure lustful desire with no love will still make you fall. Other deeds like cruel murder and massacre will still make us fall." Irina answered all of his questions.

Irina turned away a little at the end.

"I wanted to wait until I had made significant progress with you and then I would tell you. I wanted to prove that even without the Holy Father leaving his last gift to us behind, I was willing to do anything for you. I was willing to make lustful attempts at you and I wanted to prove my feelings to you. I don't want to be childhood friends anymore. I want to be a lover to you. I know that being your only lover isn't possible, but I want to be one for you. I want to be loved by you too." Irina declared to him with emotional eyes and nervousness and anxiety jumping around in her heart and mind.

Issei merely smiled but Irina wasn't done.

"I…I was so insecure about my place. I would get called a self-proclaiming childhood friend and it made me realize that I didn't know you anymore. When the girls started to get closer to you, I saw that I couldn't get closer to you and show you how I felt because if I wasn't careful I'd fall." Irina began to shake a little and tear up.

Issei wondered what would've happened if the Personality Ray had taken full effect on her.

He guessed that the Ray only made her more daring, seductive, and insecure.

He grabbed Irina by the shoulders and hugged her.

"I think that I always knew how strongly you felt for me after Christmas. That night, when you kissed me, I completely understood how you felt for me. I want you to know that I respond."

Irina tightened the squeeze as she looked at Issei with tender and warm eyes.

"Issei-kun." Irina moaned before she kissed Issei full on the lips.

This made the third time that they kissed. The kiss was like bliss to the both of them. It was passionate yet romantic and lust wasn't protruding its nose in the act. At first, Issei was surprised, but he now responded with strong emotion for her.

"Irina. I want you to know, that I still want to be a Harem King. But, I want you to know that I love you too, along with the other girls." Issei still held onto his original dream, an unsurprising thing, really.

"I know. I'll still love you, regardless, Issei-kun." She spoke before the school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

The two got up and walked back to their next class as they would pick up on things later.

Irina now held full confidence over the fact that Issei now understood her feelings and her place in his heart had been solidified.

* * *

When school was over and done with, everyone headed home. Walking through the door, Irina happily ventured to her room as her mood seemed to radiate pure light. This was no joke either. Her halo had formed over her head and she literally radiate light from her body. It was most likely the mood she was in that made her this way.

Ravel had walked downstairs to meet Issei but noticed that Rossweisse was already on him.

"Can I take your things?" She offered lovingly, as Issei assured her that he could do it.

"Grrr. I want to spend some time with Issei too." Ravel's aura flared as she planned to create a chance to spend some time with Issei. Alone.

Little did Issei know, and much to his forgetful memory, his watch immediately activated and one of its hands lit up green and pointed right at Ravel.

* * *

 _ **Wow! This one was difficult to write. I had run out of ideas for Irina and I'm still trying to save some stuff for a future chapter for her if I write one so this is all I decided to put in for Irina's chapter. Next chapter will be Ravel's. She hasn't appeared enough so I need to think of something different for her.**_


	6. Chapter 6: Love From Sparks

_**I just saw the OVA for High School DxD Born. I have to say, I found Ravel quite cute, much more so than before. Boy, I wonder if I should've stuck with the deretypes. Anyways, I hope you all find this chapter interesting. If it wasn't, then review and let me know what you thought. I try to be as different as possible with these girls so that they aren't all too similar.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Love from Sparks**

Issei was walking to school and as he traveled his daily route, he recalled the conversation that he had with Azazel the previous night.

After he came home from school, Azazel had come to visit Issei, having found more research on the Personality Ray's effects.

"So, Irina's personality wasn't out there like the others, huh?" Azazel was trying to form a reason about why the Personality Ray didn't affect her like it did the others.

"It looks like the Ray merely released some of her inner restraints and allowed her to display a more daring and flirtatious attitude. I also heard about Michael's discovery and I think that played a part in it. You might want to watch out. She might be even more daring from this point onwards."

Issei yawned as he stretched in his chair. He had a sleepless night since Akeno-san had started to have yandere tendencies again. She wouldn't stop cuddling him and whispering loving comments to him while stating that he belonged to her. It was quite a tense atmosphere. Issei shuddered at the thought of her yandere-tendencies escalating to a real yandere point. He'd be butchered if Akeno turned into a true yandere.

He remembered the story of how Akeno became lifeless and detached from reality when he died, he realized that the Personality Ray must have amplified her mental dependency on him to the point of near-obsession at certain points.

Pushing the thought of his mind as the teacher entered the classroom, Issei decided to think on this matter later at some other time.

* * *

Class was boring. Motohama and Matsuda were back in the hospital. Apparently, they tried peeping again and tried to make indecent moves on girls at some sort of club that they snuck into. The bouncers caught them and they tried to put up a fight but got beat around like punching bags when they made things worse for themselves.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened and a familiar girl walked inside. Her hair was blonde and arranged twin-tailed drills. Her height was around Asia and Koneko's height. Her blue eyes reflected her calm personality but a fire was hidden inside them as well. She was wearing Kuoh's uniform and was apparently a second year. The girl was none other Ravel Phenex, daughter of the Phenex Clan, and Issei's manager.

She looked around the classroom, looking for Issei and spotted him by his window seat. As she moved toward him, several guys and girls looked at her.

Issei noticed her moving towards him and as he looked at her, he noticed his watch activate. His watch hand activated and turned green, pointing itself at Ravel.

"Issei-sama." She greeted him as she sat in the desk in front of his. For some reason, her tone was a bit cold and detached. Her gaze was stern and serious and a professional aura was about her.

"Ravel, what's up?" Issei was very tense.

His watch reacted and its hands turned green and immediately pointed at Ravel.

" _Now then, what will she be? Deredere? Yandere? Tsundere? Hey, wait…she's already a tsundere."_ Issei noticed his mistake and forgot that Ravel was already somewhat of a tsundere, albeit minus the stereotypical violent tendencies.

"You have a regular school day today from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. Tojou Koneko-san has an hour of time with you after school at 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Asia Argento-san has requested that you spend an hour with her at exactly 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Rossweisse-san will be with you at 7:00 till after dinnertime. Himejima Akeno-san will be spending the rest of the evening with you. Rias Gremory-sama will be away on business this evening. Please memorize today's schedule. It is vital that you get used to this sort of thing if you wish to be a Harem King." Ravel's flat and monotone voice was very new to Issei. He expected this tone to come from Koneko but it came from Ravel instead.

"Ravel, is that all?" Issei asked hesitantly, he was trying his best to be careful with how he approached her.

Ravel turned around and gave him a cold professional look. In her eyes, were calculations and robotic organizations going on.

"Yes." She replied curtly.

Issei froze in place as his cute junior/manager gave him the cold shoulder.

She turned around and walked away, without a second glance.

* * *

Issei was a bit down in the dumps as he let out a long sigh. He was sitting in the ORC Clubroom, with Koneko on his lap, munching away cutely on her snacks, while filing through several requests from several clients.

Ravel had made him sit down and sort through the several requests that had come to him. He had some that were about Nyo-tan requesting for him to bring him and friend, somebody to transform her into a magical girl. There was another where he was supposed to help organize an intervention for a pervert. ( _ **Issei was sure that he'd be the one who'd be forced to be a target for the intervention.**_ )

The number of requests went on and on and after sorting everything, he turned in the files to Ravel so that she could sort out his schedule. Whenever he tried to get closer to her, she would brush him off and get back to work, while telling him to get to work also.

He missed the tsundere Ravel who would bake cakes for him and would shyly talk to him with her cute and hesitant blush.

The new Ravel was even more efficient and tactical but Issei wasn't sure he liked the mechanical mindset of her new personality.

Azazel said that he couldn't really do much at this point since he didn't want things to mess up even further, however, there was something else that Azazel withheld from Issei.

He wanted Issei to go through this and understand that being a Harem King wouldn't be so easy. He'd have to deal with all types of girls and he would have to be able to sort out his troubles when it came his harem.

* * *

After spending an afternoon of snacks and games, Issei and Koneko went home, where he would have to put up with Tsundere Asia.

"Issei! Bring me tea!" Asia was hollering from the living room as she was reading a book.

Issei was a bit exhausted from the numerous deeds that she made him do. She made him buy her a limited time cake from the local bakery. She made him massage her shoulders and she even made him scrub her back for her in the bath.

"Asia's chest has grown even more. She'll get closer to Akeno-san's figure at this rate." Issei noted happily to himself as he walked to his room. He decided to kill some time and decided that he'd play some games with Ophis, who was merely dilly-dallying around the mansion. He didn't get much time with her since the other girls were taking up huge portions of his time.

"Hey, Ophis. Doing okay?" Issei patted her head as he sat down and grabbed a controller to play with her.

"Yes. I am doing fine." Ophis replied in her usual monotone voice.

Issei merely smiled and spent a whole hour playing with her. It felt nice to be able to be able to go at his own pace for a change. He didn't have to obey any orders, take requests, and get cuddled when he was with Ophis. He merely hoped that Ophis didn't pick up on any of the girl's new tendencies.

When he looked at the time, it was 6:50. It was time for him to go and meet with Rossweisse. He ventured downstairs to the kitchen and saw her humming happily as she cooked dinner.

Issei noted to himself that her cooking rivaled the Two Great Onee-samas and Asia.

He walked next to her and lightly poked her sides.

She yelped and turned around with a stunned look and blushed when she saw how close Issei was to her face.

"I-Issei-kun." She was flustered when her lips nearly touched his.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." Issei made an apologetic look when she turned around with a maddened red face.

Rossweisse turned around and continued cooking.

"It's fine, Issei-kun. I'm glad that you felt that way. What do you want for dinner? I can cook whatever you want." Rossweisse sweetly inquired.

Issei thought for a moment and answered.

"I'm fine with anything that you cook, Rossweisse." Issei was truly okay with whatever she came up with.

Rossweisse nodded in recognition and continued what she was doing.

Issei was sure that she would make the perfect housewife and it excited him, knowing that she had feelings for him.

After dinner, Issei retired to his room but he was caught by the stairs by Akeno. She giggled happily as she snaked her arm around his and walked with him up the stairs. She was wearing her shrine-maiden robe, so Issei expected something erotic to come along. ( _ **It's High School DxD. I think what's coming next won't be too surprising.)**_

" _ **Partner, be careful with how you tread now. One false word and you'll be beheaded with jealous love.**_ " Draig gave wise counsel as Issei took heed but also felt confusion.

He looked at his watch and the hands were glowing green and were pointing at Akeno. Issei's watch was still white so it meant he was still safe.

He was sure that if he mentioned the other girls, he was dead meat. Her yandere-tendencies were growing stronger so he had to be much more careful.

He thanked the Maou that Akeno was still reasonable. If the other girls initiated contact, she didn't go yandere, but if Issei himself initiated ecchi situations, he'd be in serious danger.

Issei had changed into a white shirt and shorts, and was lying in bed with an unclothed Akeno, sleeping under the sheets with him, with her arms around him. There were clearly no signs of her letting go of him either.

"Issei-kun. Looks like I get you all to myself tonight too. I'm so happy." She nuzzled into his chest as she smiled happily.

"Me too." Issei was being honest with this particular comment. He enjoyed being with Akeno, so he didn't mind her at current time.

Within short time, the pair fell asleep, with Rias arriving home later that night.

* * *

Issei woke up the next morning and found himself alone with Rias and Akeno, both undressed and under the sheets with him. A normal sight these days.

He got out of bed, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed and proceeded to head downstairs, hoping to find breakfast.

He had picked up some cooking from his mom when he asked to learn a little, in case situations came to bad outcomes, like the girls not being home to cook or them being too mad at him for some unforeseen reason.

He found that Ravel was already cooking breakfast with her new cool and calm look. She was making pancakes, the same ones that she had made for him during the training with Riser. Issei smiled and felt gratitude for her hard work.

He continued downstairs and sat down at the dining room, patiently waiting for her to be ready to serve breakfast.

Within an hour, she had made several dozens of pancakes, with there being easily enough to feed everyone in the mansion.

Issei noticed that she had been working nonstop with cold determination ever since the whole Personality Ray fiasco started.

She didn't spend much time with him and was constantly sorting out his schedule, replying to messages, organizing his business affairs, and managing his money from _Oppai Dragon_.

She clearly looked okay but Issei decided that he needed her to relax before she burned out in due time.

"Issei-sama, everyone, breakfast is ready." Ravel called out from the kitchen as she came out with several plates of pancakes and dispensers for syrup.

With one bite, Issei felt awake and energized as he savored the sweet buttery pancakes.

While savoring the sweet pancakes, Issei was trying to think of how to get Ravel to relax for the day.

He had taken Koneko to the Amusement Park. He took Asia clothes shopping and to the arcade. He went with Xenovia to the bookstore and then to a burger restaurant. He didn't really go anywhere with Irina but he knew he'd have to go somewhere with her too. Finally, he remembered the **Winter Medieval Festival** that was coming to Kuoh.

As soon as he recalled it, he knew it would be a good place for her to relax. It was rumored to be full of European Medieval stuff and it was said to be a fun place, like a Renaissance Festival. The Festival was supposed to start at 9:00 am today. It was exactly 8:00 am today, so there was time to get to the festival before crowds started gathering around the tickets.

When the other girls had all left the room, Issei took this chance to ask Ravel out. Subconsciously, this whole Personality Ray had been making Issei more confident and less of an open pervert. A good sign since he didn't try to strip any beautiful girl in battle and he didn't voice his lewd thoughts out loud anymore.

"Ravel." Issei walked up to her and gripped both of her shoulders gently.

Ravel, for a moment, looked surprised but quickly regained her composure.

"What is it, Issei-sama?" Ravel asked with her icy tone.

"Go out with me today." Issei knew he was being blunt but he wouldn't let her say no. She deserved a break, with all of her hard work.

"I'm sorry Issei- "Ravel was about to decline but Issei wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Ravel, you're my manager, right?" Ravel merely nodded.

"Isn't it the manager's job to help take care of the person that they are helping?" Ravel nodded again.

"Then, for me and my health, go out with me today." Issei adamantly pressed on. He wasn't sure he liked this new Ravel. He liked how this new her was even more efficient than before but she lacked the emotion that the real her had.

Ravel paused for a while and nodded, agreeing to his demands.

"Alright. Go and change into warm attire and then we'll leave." Issei felt joy and relief as Ravel walked up the stairs to do as told.

" _ **I have to say, you handled that well, Partner. You didn't let her refuse and you even got her to agree without arguing. You're improving. All of my past hosts had harems, of course, so I'm not too surprised with your approach.**_ " Draig was now certain that Raynare's "curse" was gone. The old hesitant Issei was reformed into a stronger Issei.

* * *

Issei changed into a black coat with a red scarf and black jeans. When Ravel came downstairs, she was wearing a red coat with a gold scarf, white skirt, and black boots. There was a decent amount of snow outside, so boots were a good idea. Still, with one being a dragon and the other a phoenix, the cold wasn't much of an issue.

"Shall we go?" Issei extended a hand, which Ravel took it nonchalantly, though this was a facade to mask her blush.

Hopping onto the station and darting to another area of Kuoh, the pair arrived to a forest area in Kuoh. They had walked from the station, all the way to the woods, where the festival was to happen. They saw rows of torches lighting a path to a gate.

The gate had a post put there, with a person inside, ready to pass out tickets.

The fee was 2000 yen, a fee that Issei easily paid for, to Ravel's protest.

"Issei-sama, a small fee like that could be easily paid by me, who is of high-class. Please spend your finds more wisely." Ravel gave Issei a lecture about money, a lecture which he didn't pay much attention to.

"However, thank you." Ravel added in the last note with a small blush.

"Anytime, Ravel" Issei smiled at her, causing her heart to go pitter-patter.

They passed through the gates and were greeted by a unique sight.

There were several medieval booths and shops that sold accessories, jewelry paintings, cosplay items, and different western foods.

There were people dressed up in suits of armor, dresses, and clothing that was supposed to be from Britain's old days.

Ravel's attention was caught by a poster that showed a play that was to start in a couple of minutes. The poster talked about a knight in shining armor, saving a princess that was being captured by an evil warlord and his evil henchmen.

Issei saw her eyeing the poster and took her hand and led her to the theater that was set up for the festival.

They took their seats and Issei managed to get them high-class seats where they had the best view for the play.

As the curtain rose, Issei saw Ravel's eyes light up. It was clear that she wasn't as icy as she had seemed. Issei just needed to melt the ice around her with certain things that struck her fancy.

Ravel was thoroughly enjoying the play as it unfolded. A young princess was going to marry a man that she knew since birth but he soon died before they could marry. The man had gone off to war and promised to return but didn't and news of his death had reached the princess, who swore off marriage out of faith to her departed beloved. This brought a sense of disappointment to her until the next part of the play came. The princess would refuse anyone who came for her hand in marriage as days went by. Soon, attempt after attempt, the princess was about to be forced into a marriage with death threats launched against her parents and her people. On the day of the dreaded ceremony, the evil groom-to-be and his army were defeated by a single hero in shining armor, who did so, single-handedly. When the armored hero took off his helm, it was none other than the man she had fallen in love with. The man who was said to have died in battle, was standing in front of her, ready to marry her after saving her. The play ended on a happy note as the princess and her hero were finally able to keep their promise and they lived happily as King and Queen.

When the play ended, everyone rose from their seats and clapped vigorously, including Ravel.

Issei was happy that she enjoyed herself, as he could sense the thin layer of ice around her heart being thawed out.

They left the theater and Issei was eager to return her to her old self. He decided that he was going to include her in his peerage when he became a high-class devil and would strive to do so, so that he could make the women around him happy and so he could protect them.

"Ravel, how about we go there?" Issei pointed at an archery range.

Ravel wasn't exactly sure about it but agreed.

They each stood in a different range and listened to the instructor and the rules before finally beginning the game.

Issei wasn't such a bad shot since he hit 6 target out of 12 but Ravel was something else. She shot all 12 targets and won herself a stuffed dragon plushie as a prize.

Next was knife throwing, which Issei was freaking out over. He had been chosen as a volunteer from the crowd since he couldn't let Ravel do it.

"That young miss, how about you volunteer for the knife throw" Bellowed the show performer.

Issei had immediately darted in for her own safety.

"I'll do it instead. I've been wanting to volunteer!" Issei declared with bravado. In truth, he was freaking out since he didn't exactly trust the performers and he was being spun on a wheel at an alarming speed.

" _I've got a bad feeling about this_." Issei felt his dread increase with each step he took up the stairs.

" _ **Be strong, Partner. If anything, I'll change parts of your body so that you won't feel any pain. I can't exactly change you into a dragon in front of all of these people though.**_ " Draig did his best to soothe Issei but it didn't help much.

" _I don't want anything sticking itself into any part of me. Especially if it's a weapon!_ "

At last, Issei was strapped onto the wheel and was spun around at a nauseous speed.

"Goh Myyy Gahhh!" Issei's words weren't even comprehensible since the wheel was so fast.

When he saw Ravel giggling a little, Issei felt that this was worth it and ignored any further complaints that his mind and body made.

Finally, the knife-thrower aimed his 5 knives and threw them one at a time.

" _I will not fear._ " Issei said to himself as one knife embedded itself next to his left cheek.

" _I will not fear._ " The 2nd knife impaled the spot close to his right cheek.

" _I shall not fear_." The 3rd knife hit a spot that was _very_ close to his left armpit. He could feel the cold metal close to his skin. A bad sign.

" _I cannot fear!_ " Issei was starting to panic as the 4th knife barely missed his right arm.

At long last, the last knife came. When Issei saw where the knife-thrower was aiming, he was sweating buckets. There was a gold star directly under his crotch and judging by the growing danger that the knife-thrower was presenting him, Issei was sure that the knife would definitely connect with his groin.

" _I MUST FEAR! NOT THERE!_ " Issei had lost all reason and was now officially freaking out. He shuddered as he tried to regain composure.

The 5th knife came and barely missed his manhood. The knife had begun to drop a little and barely hit the golden star.

" _Thank you, gravity._ " Issei gave his sincere gratitude to the Force.

"Thank you, brave volunteer. If you wish to show your bravery again, come here once more and show your courage. Tata!" The performer loudly declared as Issei walked off the stage.

When he walked over to Ravel, she was giggling to herself. She couldn't help it when she saw Issei's expressions.

Issei was a bit disturbed at how she enjoyed watching his torment but let it slide when he saw her smiling and laughing.

"Let's go somewhere else." Issei suggested, to which Ravel agreed.

"Yes. Issei-sama." Ravel replied with a slightly more cheerful look.

They walked and their eye was caught by a high-striker contest.

Ravel caught sight of a charm necklace that was a prize and actually wanted to win it but she didn't have much faith in her physical strength. She relied more on tactics and her inherent abilities. Seeing her longing, Issei walked forward and took hold of the hammer and proceeded to slam the hammer onto the scale, sending the puck flying into the bell, causing it to ring and echo all over the festival grounds.

"Well, we have a winner, choose a prize." The employee gestured to the booth next to him, which was chock-full of prizes like games, toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, and other cool items like replica weapons and cosplay items from the medieval period.

Pointing directly at the necklace that Ravel was eyeing, the employee placed it in a black and gold case and handed it to Issei, who proceeded to give the case to Ravel. The necklace was heart shaped and had a ruby gem placed into it. The locket and chains were all gold and there were strange markings on it. Magical it seemed.

She gave him a look of confusion but Issei merely nodded at her, signaling that he won the prize for her and not himself.

Ravel was blushing graciously as she gingerly took it.

"Thank you, Issei-sama." Ravel's tone had changed once again, this time, her tone had returned to being normal. Issei looked at his watch and saw that the hands were still glowing green, with one of the hands pointing at Ravel.

" _ **Partner, I think her personality is changing again. It seems like she's become like that former Valkyrie.**_ " Draig sensed the magical change in her and decided to warn his host.

" _Got it, Draig_." Issei felt a bit relieved since she was now no longer cold like before. She used to give him the cold shoulder ever since her personality changed.

"Today, I've had so much fun today. Thank you. This encourages me to work even harder now!" Ravel beamed a bright smile at Issei with a charming blush on her cute face.

Looking at his watch, which could also tell time, Issei saw that it was 4:00 pm.

"Ravel, how about we get something to eat?" Issei suggested as he was sure that she was hungry too.

His stomach felt like an empty pit, which demanded for nourishment or Hell would be raised.

"Of course, Issei-sama." Ravel wrapped her arms around Issei's left arm and walked with him to a booth that was selling food.

After they finished eating, Ravel pointed at a store that was selling clothes and cosplay armor.

"Issei-sama, could we go there?" Ravel looked at Issei, who noddedly excitedly.

They walked inside and Ravel took a gander at the huge selection of dresses, robes, and armors for women, while Issei browsed around the men's clothing.

"Feel free to try on anything you like." The store owner welcomed them in as she pointed out several outfits in the store.

Ravel saw a red ballroom dress that looked quite amazing. She proceeded to try it on in the changing rooms and was anxious to see how Issei would react.

Issei saw a suit of shining armor and decided to try it on for fun.

The two changed into their chosen outfits and came out of the changing rooms to get the others opinion.

When Issei saw her in the red dress, he was astounded by how much more beautiful and mature she looked than before. He always thought she was cute but now…she was utterly beautiful. Issei thought on how hard she worked and how much commitment that she showed him. He thought about how hard-working she was and how intelligent she was. She was also very good at baking and she may seem arrogant but she was actually very sweet. Issei realized that when he looked at her now, his heart would speed up like when he was with Rias and Asia.

" _Could…I be falling in love with her?_ " Issei didn't expect seeing this coming. It was understandable to have fallen for the other girls but he didn't expect to have also fallen for Ravel.

Ravel opened the box with the necklace inside of it and put it in Issei's hands.

"Issei-sama, could you help me put this on?" Ravel turned around as Issei nodded, obliging her request.

After placing the necklace on her neck and locking the back of it, Ravel turned around and gave him a hesitant look.

"How…do I look now?"

"Even more beautiful than before. Not that you needed the necklace though."

Ravel's face lit up red and she made a silent thank you.

"I think you look very dashing in that armor too, Issei-sama."

Suddenly, the necklace made a strange glow, with red light glowing everywhere.

"What's happening?" Ravel was alarmed by the sudden event but the light of the necklace soon died down and the magic symbols on it disappeared.

" _ **Partner, something's not right. Get ready because I smell trouble.**_ " Draig warned Issei, who put his guard up.

Issei looked around and several dozen men, who looked at Ravel, suddenlt became entranced by her and dropped whatever it was they were doing and ran at her.

"PLEASE MARRY ME!"

"BECOME MY LOVER!"

"YOU'RE MINE!"

"IT'S A GODDESS!

Issei and Ravel became flabbergasted by this strange turn of events.

Issei proceeded to punch and kick away any guy who dared try to assault her.

When Issei was busy fighting away several crazed men, some others grabbed Ravel and were trying to run off with her.

Issei noticed this and raced toward them.

He didn't want to but the situation demanded it. Issei summoned the Boosted Gear and flew after Ravel and her captors.

The men who captured her looked like they were about to do nefarious things to her. Ravel's hands were held down and she didn't want to exactly show her Pheonix wings either.

"Dragon Pulse!" A voice called out.

A red wave of energy blasted into the men who grabbed her, sending them all flying into trees and the ground, knocking all of them out.

Seconds later, Issei dashed and jumped next to Ravel.

"Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?!" Issei was afraid at what could've happened.

Ravel's clothes were all in perfect condition, though her hair was ruffled.

When Ravel looked at him, her heart skipped several beats as she saw how heroic Issei looked.

Defending her from several crazed men all by himself, Issei looked like the hero from the play that they watched earlier that day. She had been infatuated with tales of heroes in shining armor, and here, Issei was her hero in shining armor.

She shook off her dazed love-struck emotions and replied.

"I'm fine. We should go." Ravel suggested as Issei finished knocking out the last of the crazed men.

"Yeah. Let me do something really quick first." Issei took out his phone and called Azazel.

"Sensei. There's been an incident by the area where the Winter Medieval Festival is. Can you come and help clean up here?" Issei called in the favor where Azazel promised to help take care of cleaning up any fiascos that were caused by the Personality Ray. This time, Issei would blame it on the necklace that Issei had won.

Within minutes, a team of Grigori members had transported to the area and began to wipe memories of recent events to before Ravel's necklace activated. Damage was fixed and bruises were healed after little time passed.

Even Azazel showed up for this.

"Hey, you two, what happened here?" He was amused at what happened and wanted to know more about what caused the whole situation.

"Well, this necklace just started to glow red and everyone who looked at it attacked me." Ravel showed the necklace to Azazel, who looked at it closely.

"Oh this thing. This necklace has an entrancement spell on it. Whoever looks at it when it goes off becomes entranced by whoever wears it and they turn into love-struck idiots. It only works once though. This was usually used as a revenge thing but they all got destroyed. The Helen and Troy incident happened because of this thing." Azazel made a hearty laugh as Issei and Ravel made exasperated sighs.

"Well, it's powerless now and the spell is gone, so it's just normal jewelry now." Azazel put the necklace back into Ravel's hands as he and the other Grigori members left.

With a deep breath, Issei decided that the pair should go home.

"It's getting late. Ravel, let's go home before it gets too dark."

Ravel and Issei agreed and changed back into normal clothes and proceeded to go to the train station and head back.

* * *

As the two walked home, Issei decided to tackle a matter that had been badgering him for a long time.

"Hey, Ravel. I wanted to talk about something." Issei's tone was serious, making Ravel feel a bit on edge and even anxious.

"Wh-What is it, Issei-sama?"

"About you being my manager."

"Yes?"

"I don't want you to be my temporary manager anymore."

Ravel felt her world shatter as her ambition began to cave in.

"What?! Why?!" She cried out as Issei turned around with a warm and kind look. Ravel looked panicked and even heartbroken. Her desire to be with Issei and her ambition to be with him. It was all falling apart.

"What I meant to say was this. I want you to be my permanent manager."

Ravel's ambition immediately repaired itself and she felt a strong blush grow on her face as her heart began to race like lightning.

"When I become a High-class Devil, will you become a part of my peerage? As a tactician?" Issei was a bit hesitant because it wasn't like he had much to offer but he absolutely had to ask. This whole fiasco with the Personality Ray made him want to further his relationships with the women in his life.

Ravel smiled a truly joyous look and had her hand over her heart, in an effort to calm it.

She leaped forward and placed a strong passionate kiss on Issei's lips. Ravel's agreement and dedication to Issei, was all conveyed in this one kiss.

"Yes, Issei-sama. I'll be your manager forever, if you want me." Her voice was low and loving. Her gaze was warm and her emotions were all positive. Ravel couldn't feel much happier.

Issei knew that this sounded much more than it meant and he didn't mind. He wanted to be a good Harem King. Not a negligent one.

Ravel and Issei parted and Ravel immediately wrapped her arms around Issei's arm and walked happily with him home.

" _Being a Harem King. My old impression of it was so naïve. I used to just think of it as being a guy who had a bunch of busty beauties around me. All of them loving me and satisfying my desires. Now, I want to be a loving Harem King. I want to love them and for them to love me. I want to protect them and live happily with them. I'll become stronger…so that I can make this new dream come true._ " Issei swore an oath to himself with powerful determination.

" _ **Of course, Partner. I'll also be with you every step of the way.**_ " Draig promised Issei as he made his support known.

Issei thanked Draig.

Now, he was eager. Eager to further his other relationships. Next, he would try to get even closer to Rossweisse and he looked forward to it.

* * *

 _ **Well, hopefully, that chapter was enjoyable. I enjoyed writing this one because Ravel is one of my favorite girls in the harem. Anyways. Read. Review. Enjoy. And I will see you all next time.**_


	7. Chapter 7: Silver Promise

_**I just want to relay the message again that School Days absolutely won't, will not, and cannot happen. The yandere tendencies are only for comedy purposes (the story doesn't seem too funny though). I might actually do something crazy and put in another yandere-ish character. I considered having Issei get hit with the Personality Ray at first but something similar happened to him in a Light Novel DX Release by Ishibumi. I don't want to copy what he did already. What I had planned was too similar. For now, I will set aside the idea of Issei changing personalities. Anyways, I hope that you readers will find this chapter satisfying or at least pleasant. Enjoy. MAJOR SPOILERS INCORPORATED IN THIS CHAPTER.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Silver Promise**

Issei was having quite a pleasant dream. It was a few things short of Heaven. Issei knew because he went there before.

It started out with him in his bed in his room inside the Hyoudou Mansion. It seemed as if he was sleeping within his dream, except he awoke inside of his dream to a very beautiful sight.

He sat up in his bed and was surprised to see Rossweisse. The best thing was, in Issei's opinion, was that she was nude! It wasn't a rare sight for Issei, but it was still a sight to behold.

"Ah, the beautiful body of a former Valkyrie. A truly beautiful sight to behold." Issei was drooling a little as he saved her unclothed appearance into his neural hard drive with a new image of her in a different pose. Rossweisse was sleeping sideways, making her chest press together. Her curvaceous figure was outlined by the blanket draped over her lower half, and it was indeed an arousing sight.

Rossweisse stirred and soon awoke as she sat up, yawned and stretched her arms into the air. This action completely exposed her voluptuous chest, and was yet, another pleasantry for Issei. Rossweisse smiled lovingly at Issei. Her face was red with a faint blush and her tone was a bit shy but also satisfied or rather, she sounded content.

"Good morning, Issei." Rossweisse moved forward and gave Issei a nice long kiss on the lips. It was warm and soft as the two felt each other's lips and tongues collide. The kiss turned lustful, with the warm passionate kiss becoming much more than a long peck.

Finally, the two parted lips, with a thin trail of saliva connecting between the both of them.

"Last night…was absolutely wonderful." Rossweisse's bashful face turned bright red as it seemed like the two had spent a very intimate night together.

Issei felt as if he had hit a milestone. _**(Even though it wasn't true. Yet.)**_

He smiled and was about to sweep in for another kiss until he felt a strange sensation.

The dream turned to white and he opened his eyes to see the ceiling of the canopy for his bed.

He sat up and found that Rossweisse, Akeno, Rias, and the other girls in his harem, were asleep on his bed. All of them were in sleepwear and the sight was actually quite jovial in a strange sense.

Isse looked to his left and Rossweisse laying close to him. Her sleeping face was absolutely peaceful and he couldn't help but feel his heart speed up a little when he looked at her tranquil expression.

" _ **You okay, Partner?**_ " Draig questioned him mentally.

" _Yeah. I'm fine, Draig._ " Issei replied mentally, though he sounded a bit out of it.

Draig knew exactly what Issei was going through. He had seen his hosts go through this far too often. A harem was unavoidable for his hosts.

" _ **Partner, if you need a talk, I'm right here**_." Draig spoke his last piece before leaving Issei to his own privacy.

Issei was stuck considering about what to do at this point. He had completely and undoubtedly captured the hearts of Asia, Koneko, Xenovia, Irina, and Ravel at this point. It was clearly established that the 5 girls, plus Rias, were going to be with him from now on. He was very sure that Rossweisse and Akeno clearly had feelings for him and their new sides had solidified this belief. Still, he needed to make sure if they were willing to be in his "harem". He was a bit more confident now and he still aimed to be a harem king, but he would be a more loving one. He was going to be a man who protected the women that he loved.

He decided that he'd choose to go to Rossweisse first. She was deredere right now so she was probably bound to be more honest and less deceptive, unlike how a yandere would be. He decided that he'd go spend time with Akeno last. Best to leave the possible worst for last.

* * *

He had dressed himself and brushed his teeth and hair and went downstairs. He smelled sweet scents and fragrances and continued down the stairs with expectant vigor.

He sat at the Dining Room Table and found that food was already laid out, with the other girls having gotten up and fixing their appearances after noticing Issei's absence.

Plates of stacked waffles, Danish, crepes, and pancakes were placed along the center of the table in an elegant fashion.

Seating himself at one side of the table, he found that Akeno had scooted next to him in a rather rapid fashion.

"Wha? Akeno-san?! How did you- "Issei was stunned because she had been sitting on the other side of the table between Irina and Xenovia but now she was next to him within 3 seconds.

"Ufufufufu. No need to sweat the small stuff." Akeno's aura was a bit unsettling but Issei paid no mind.

He took his seat and as he placed himself on the cushion of his chair, Rossweisse walked out from the Kitchen area.

She was wearing a simple white t-shirt that showed her desirable torso and a dark blue skirt that reached her knees. Her hair was tied into a ponytail with the usual ribbon that she used for her hair.

" _Wow! That's actually a nice new look for her_." Issei was at first stunned and then entranced by her. The smallest change in hairstyle for Rossweisse made Issei's heart go on a race again.

Rossweisse noticed his gaze and beamed a smile at him.

Issei's face grew a little hotter as he paused. He snapped himself out of his daze and turned to the food.

"I wanted to try and make something different today, so I hope you all are satisified with this." Rossweisse felt hopeful that her food would taste good. The dishes were of Danish, Scandinavian, and Norwegian food.

Everyone took a portion of food from each serving plate and tried each one.

A sense of delight and satisfaction lit up in their minds as they savored breakfast.

With breakfast out of the way, it was supposed to be a normal Saturday morning. However, that wasn't the case.

The Vali Team, which had been incorporated into DxD, had shown up. Apparently, they were taking a break for a little while. For the past couple of weeks, Vali would show up randomly and watch Adult Videos with Issei. Azazel had told Vali that if he tried to copy Issei, Vali might unlock a new power. A power that would be received through perverted means.

Seeing as how Odin had taken in Vali as his adoptive son, Odin wasted no time in teasing Vali about his fetishes.

A couple of days ago, the two showed up for a friendly visit so that Odin could formally introduce and announce Vali as his adopted son.

"Well, Sekiryuutei, it has been a while." Odin had announced his arrival a few hours before teleporting to the Hyoudou Residence.

"Ah, it's good to see you again, Odin-sama." Issei decided that he should be more formal with Odin, since he wasn't just any old perverted geezer.

"It's good to know that you've gained some respect for me. Well, I thought it would be good manners to take my new son around and formally introduce him and make certain things clear. You all already know this so words aren't really needed. Still, I think Vali needs to learn how to relax and learn that there's more to life than fighting. I'm hoping that you can teach him that. Azazel-boy has done much to foster his strength but didn't effectively deal with his battle-mania. I'll leave Vali here for the day so that he can unwind. I've already restricted him from running away but feel free to punch my son if he gets out of hand. Now then, I'll leave you two here. Oh, the Vali Team is also here so do get along better from now on. The DxD Team will depend on the ties of you youngsters. Hahaha. I'll see you later. Chichiryuutei. Ketsuryuukou." Odin made a hearty chuckle as he left.

Vali looked a bit uncomfortable but that was a given. The boy didn't have a very bright childhood. His mother was dead from an early age and his father bullied him out of his home due to his meddlesome and evil grandfather, Rizevim Lucifer. Not to mention, Odin said Vali seemed to have a butt fetish. A direct opposition to Issei's breast fetish.

Issei felt a little pity for his past and decided that he should indeed try to help him out. Deep down, Vali wasn't really such a bad person. He was just obsessed with fighting strong people.

"Hyoudou Issei, I've paid some attention to those adult videos that you lent me, but I've found no powers increasing in me." Vali stated bluntly. The matter of perversion was completely lost on him.

" _I knew it. I don't know what Azazel-sensei was thinking but having him watch adult DVD's isn't something that would necessarily give him a strength boost._ " Issei breathed an exasperate sigh.

"Where were you looking?" Issei decided that he'd try to help him along in awakening his worldly desires.

"I paid attention to the hip and under. Around the buttock area." Vali's statement was blunt and monotone. A clear sign of disinterest.

" _Gotta think of something else. I don't know why Sensei and Odin are pushing me to help this guy out._ " Issei was going through ideas of what to go over in his head. He couldn't go into the topic of battle. Vali would just get caught up in it and start thinking about fighting again.

Issei spent an hour trying to get Vali to think deeply about perverted things. A feat that was impossible for Vali since he wasn't interested in such things.

Issei decided to drop the subject. He needed to move onto other things.

The next topic: video games.

The money he was getting from his Oppai Dragon funds and some of his contracts were ridiculous. He would be swimming in Yen but Grayfia made sure to only give him a sufficient amount of money that wouldn't corrupt him.

With his newfound wealth, he had bought several new game consoles and he made sure to use all of them to try and convince Vali that there was more to life than battle.

He spent a few hours playing a long list of video games with him and Vali actually seemed to be interested in RPG's. Leveling up and gaining new and stronger equipment, flipped a switch in him,

Moving onto manga and novels, Vali wasn't too interested. Sports was a good alternative though. It was active and it caught Vali's attention.

They played basketball and Vali seemed to be able to dunk with a 85% chance of it going in.

Over time, Issei noticed that Vali would smile a little more as he became more used to different forms of entertainment.

He noticed that the other members of the Vali Team were actually beginning to get along with Rias's peerage too.

Given their history, Koneko and Kuroka were actually spending time together. Of course, Kuroka and LeFay were living at the residence but they weren't too active in the house. The two sisters would share meals, and even play together, though they would play games in Issei's room, since he was Console Central.

Arthur was chatting with Yuuto and Xenovia. The topic was about swordplay and swords themselves. The sword was what the three shared in common and it was a great focal point in strengthening their ties.

Bikou's comedic and care-free attitude mixed well with Irina's bright and friendly personality. Laughs and jokes were exchanged and it was obvious that in Team DxD, the two would be great help in diffusing tension.

LeFay was happy to reunite with the Vali Team and she would join conversations with her brother and Bikou since it had been a little while since they last saw each other.

"Say, Vali. Have you ever had a large group of women romantically interested in you before?" Issei decided to go back to the subject of romance and finding a family to settle down with. Love was important for life. Everyone needed it at some point.

"When I was at Grigori, I did have a number of Fallen Angel females follow me around." Vali sounded a bit pained, even hesitant when he spoke about this.

"Did they vary in personality?"

"Yes. Very." Vali was wondering where Issei was going with this but followed his lead.

"Have you ever heard of the dere types?"

Vali paused before answering.

"Yes." Azazel had introduced the matter to him. He understood that the dere-types were people of differing personalities and that they shared in common the focus of love and affection. It was a popular trend in anime.

"What types did you deal with?" Issei pressed on with the matter.

"Tsundere girls and dere-dere girls, mostly." Vali was being passive until the next part came.

"What about yanderes?" Issei eyed the basketball that Vali was dribbling as the two had continued playing.

Vali froze as horrific memories returned to him.

Flashbacks of hollow and lifeless eyes appeared in his mind as women of varying looks and beauty would try to claim him for themselves through psychotic and murderous means.

"Gahhh." Vali wheezed out.

"Now!" Issei snatched the ball from Vali as he brought it to the hoop and dunked it. Winning him 5 wins out of 10.

Vali stood frozen as horrors from his past returned. Vali had never been in a relationship before but stories from Azazel and his own experiences would just give him chills.

This was a rare sight to see though. A scared and frozen Vali. This completely contracted with the calm and collected aura that he usually had.

"Wanna talk about it?" Issei had come to the conclusion that by getting things off his chest, Vali might loosen up and enjoy life a bit more.

Issei walked over to a bench and patted the seat next to him. Vali sat down and began conversing about his terrible encounter in the past.

"How scary was it?"

"Terrifying beyond reality. I was around 14 years of age. Back when I was in Grigori, there was this Fallen Angel Girl. She was about my age in Fallen Angel years. She had been stalking me ever since I was taken in by Azazel. Apparently, she believed we were soulmates the moment she looked me in the eyes. She was convinced that we were supposed to be together and thus, she resolved to stalk me and try to obtain my affections. For years, she stalked me and threatened every girl that tried to get close to me. Eventually, I caught her trail and confronted her. What came next was terrifying. She had attacked and severely wounded several women who tried to get closer to me. When I expressed disinterest, she immediately erupted. We were in her room at the time and I saw that her room was covered in photos of me at different times and places. She even took things that I touched and used. She had stolen a pair of clothes from me. Picked up a strand of my hair and even took a piece of food that I didn't finish. Eventually, she attacked me and tied me down to a bed. At the time, I was tired from training and from using Juggernaut Drive. She subdued me with unnatural power and then told me about things she did for me." Vali spoke those last few words with a shudder.

Issei was seriously wondering if Akeno had done those kinds of things too. He had to pay her room a visit later.

"She had beat up people who badmouthed me and even proceeded to badly wound them. She snuck 50 love letters to me daily and she even cooked all of my food, without me knowing. Eventually, I escaped and reported the situation to Azazel. He managed to sort out the situation. Still, those lifeless and hollow eyes of a yandere. Truly scary indeed. The emptiness, obsession, dependence, and horror. It took a while to shake it off. How weak I was back then. I never knew that yanderes were so capable of amazing feats from their obsession. I even had to fight desperately for my chastity." Vali breathed a long sigh as he recounted his traumatizing past.

Issei sympathized with him. At the current moment, he had a girl who would go back and forth from being dere-dere and yandere.

* * *

Eventually, dinner came that night.

After a hearty meal, Odin had arrived. It was like watching a father pick up his son and friends from some place.

"Thanks for today. It was fun. I think I've found some things that are a bit more interesting than I originally thought." Vali admitted as he smiled back at everyone in the Hyoudou Mansion.

When Rossweisse saw Odin, however, she went cold.

"Odin-sama. What brings you here?" Rossweisse glared at him, sending chills up the old man's spine. Her tone remained polite but her expression was anything but that.

"Ju-Just here to pick up my son and his friends." Odin stated nervously.

An intense and angry aura erupted around Rossweisse as Odin quickly left with Vali, Bikou, and Arthur.

When Odin left, Rossweisse's aura calmed down and she went back to being deredere.

"Ara ara ufufufufu. Looks like Rossweisse has quite a scary side." Akeno teased lightly as Rossweisse merely huffed away.

Issei had decided to take a bath later that evening in order to wash off the sweat that he had accumulated from the day.

* * *

While showering, he heard the door open to reveal Rossweisse, draped in nothing but a towel with her hair in a bun.

Issei was a bit surprised by this sudden action in all honesty.

"Issei, let me wash your back." Rossweisse sweetly sat behind him as Issei silently complied.

She grabbed a towel with soap and proceeded to scrub his bare back. The feeling was pleasant and relaxing, according to Issei.

"All done." Rossweisse proclaimed as she washed Issei off.

With cleaning himself being over, Issei walked over to the hot spring in the room and sank slowly into it. He knew that Rossweisse was watching him so he thankfully put on a towel to cover Issei Jr.

However, Rossweisse, who was blushing crimson-red, was still washing herself off so she couldn't see him enter the spring anyways.

He should've been used to this by now, but Issei couldn't help but feel a little timid. It was probably because of being in the same room with a well-endowed silver-haired beauty.

When Rossweisse entered the water, she deliberately got in right next to him. Issei felt her smooth white skin brush against him, sending a slight tingle through him.

"Issei, is the water to your liking? If it isn't, I can have it changed." Rossweisse tenderly asked him as she pushed up against him.

" _If Rias's are firm, Akeno's are soft, then Rossweisse's are bouncy!_ " Issei shamelessly gave his mental critique of Rosswiesse's breasts. ( _ **I have never been so ashamed as a writer. But it's High School DxD.**_ )

"Is something the matter, Issei?" Rossweisse's face inched closer, bringing their lips mere inches apart.

"Are you feeling alirght? Do you feel dizzy? Your face is red." Rossweisse kindly put her hand on his forehead to see if his temperature was abnormal for the situation.

" _My face is red for a different reason_." Issei could not only see her breasts, but he could see below her waist too.

The last time he got this conscious in a bath was with Rias.

"I'm fine, Rose." Issei assured her that he was feeling fine.

Rossweisse looked relieved and proceeded to put her head on Issei's shoulder.

"I'm glad. I love you, Issei. Even if you love the other girls, I'll love you unconditionally." Rossweisse proudly proclaimed to him.

Issei looked at his wrist where his watch was. The watch was a gift from Azazel. It could exactly tell if someone around him was behaving under the effects of the Personality Ray. The watch was not glowing at all. This meant only one thing.

" _Rossweisse is being truthful. She's saying it of her own free will_." Issei was surprised by this revelation. Rossweisse was in love with him.

Rossweisse contently rested herself on him, creating a silent atmosphere.

Issei came to the conclusion that he also loved her. For the past few days, Rossweisse cooked for him and helped him whatever endeavor that he did. Even when he went out to fulfill a contract, she would stay up till he came home and would make sure that he had a warm meal and relaxing bath. It was touching, really.

There was no point in withholding the statement any longer.

"Rose…I love you too." Issei calmly replied to her.

Rossweisse's eyes shot open as she looked at him with a surprised look.

"Do-Do you mean that?" Rossweisse looked at him in disbelief. It was a gamble on her part. She knew that Issei had eyes for Rias and he was also a perverted teen, so it was hard to tell if there was love or lust.

Issei looked at her with a determined and honest expression.

"I'm just as serious as when I declared my love for Rias." Issei confirmed the truth behind his words.

Happy tears were brought to Rossweisse's eyes as she lunged forward and brought Issei into a tender and strong embrace.

The pair brought their faces together and intertwined their lips. It was passionate, tender, and was untouched by lust.

" _Her lips are so soft and warm. This feeling, I like it. I've kissed with Rias so many times already, and yet, it feels different every time I do it with Akeno and the other girls. Am I really okay with leaving the other girls hanging?_ " Issei began to question himself about dating. Was he content with just dating Rias and leaving the other girls unrequited? He couldn't take too long to come to a decision. It wouldn't be fair. He had to think things over carefully. He loved all of the girls in his 'harem' but he didn't want to deprive them of attention either.

* * *

Deciding to exit the bath before things got hectic, Issei parted ways with Rossweisse and went to his room to rest for tomorrow.

The next morning, at breakfast, Issei was alone with Rossweisse. The others had things to do so they were all out of the house. Deciding to cook breakfast for once, Issei decided that he'd make breakfast.

The menu was fried smoked sausage, buttered toast, waffles, and soup.

"Issei, say 'ahhh'" Rossweisse held up a piece of sausage to his mouth.

Issei gladly obliged as he opened wide.

The whole time, the two were being lovey-dovey, as if they were a newlywed couple.

It seemed as if Rossweisse had taken the lead in romance in the harem, second to Rias, of course.

When breakfast was done, Issei decided that he'd take Rossweisse out shopping. Rossweisse was obsessed with 100-yen shops and other low-price places. Issei decided that he'd take her to expensive places, so that she could enjoy luxury for once. Apparently, her hometown didn't have much either.

"Rose, do you mind going out with me today? There's some stuff I want to do but I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me too." Issei masked his intentions with a convincing lie. He also played on Rossweisse's deredere side.

"Of course, just let me go change first. I'll be back soon." Rossweisse ran upstairs and came back down a few minutes later in a white coat, black pants, and white boots. They were all designer clothes too.

It was obvious that Rossweisse felt quite strongly about this. It was basically a date after all.

The two had taken a train from the station and were currently shopping at a brand store.

He decided to go the Men's section and pick a few clothes so that Rossweisse wouldn't suspect that he was up to something.

He grabbed a few shirts and pants and walked over to Rossweisse, who was looking around at a couple of clothes. She had already tried on a few outfits and Issei was stunned at how pretty she looked.

She had tried on a blue shirt with a light colored jacket and a black skirt. The skirt reached mid-thigh.

She also tried an outfit where she was in a red shirt and white skirt.

" _I wonder if Issei will like this?_ " The whole time, Rossweisse asked herself this while trying on outfits.

She walked out to a mirror and was surprised to see Issei standing next to one.

"Ah!" Rossweisse was a bit bashful, since Issei caught her looking a bit more girly than usual.

"You look really nice." Issei beamed a smile that made Rossweisse shake with joy.

She was currently wearing a silver loose shoulder shirt and a black skirt with silver shoes.

"Th-Thank you." Rossweisse stammered as she gazed into the mirror next to Issei.

That one comment made Rossweiss's heart skip a beat and caused her face to redden into a blush.

She checked herself and she did think that she looked okay, contrary to Issei, who thought that she was gorgeous.

Opting to take the three previous outfits, the two headed up to the register to pay, with Issei being first.

After scanning all of his items, Issei handed the cashier his debit card.

"Use this to pay for her items and mines, please." Issei slickly gestured for Rossweisse to scan her items.

Rossweisse was a bit surprised that Issei would do that.

She was going to argue until Issei cut her off.

"Don't worry about it. You've done a lot for the for the past few days so this isn't really much. Go ahead. Scan your stuff." Issei kindly moved aside for her.

With payment done and clothes bought, the pair ventured off do other things.

* * *

Issei was a bit glad this time. He and Rossweisse could go on a date and not get interrupted, unlike the last time. Last time, Euclid decided to come crash the atmosphere with his obsessive tendencies toward his sister, Grayfia Lucifuge.

The pair had gone to the aquarium that was close by. They saw numerous types of fish that were separated into different tanks, depending on whether the marine life was a predator or not. They saw octopi, great white sharks, flounders, clown fish, and even electric eels.

Rossweisse would point at several fish and tell Issei to look at them when she caught sight of an obscene fish.

The whole time, Issei was happy to see her enjoy herself. When he looked at her joyful smile and carefree movement, he rejoiced.

He felt the same way every time he saw any of the other girls that he liked smile.

Still, there was an issue left.

The whole time, Rossweisse would cling to him. While they were at the aquarium, Rossweisse stayed around him the whole time and would keep her arm entangled around his.

He didn't mind at first, but he felt like she was dissolving the lines of privacy and personal space.

She wouldn't stay more than 1 feet away from him and was always in physical contact. The most bothering thing came when she would wait outside of the bathroom for him and even offered to help him wash his hands.

Issei had no idea why she was doing that but he felt like he needed to do something. He could tell whether or not Rossweisse was progressing towards yandere tendencies. He watched anime and got advice from Azazel about the topic. The clingier a girl gets and the more in love she falls, the closer she'll get to becoming obsessive and eventually psychotic.

Hunger soon arrived and the pair had gone to a famous street vendor that was apparently a famous chef that cooked for the masses.

The vendor had a large tent and cart that was red and white. Multiple containers and pots of food were laid out on kerosene heaters and a large menu was posted at the counter. There were multiple employees who were working in the kitchen area of the tent.

There were a bunch of different foods like mitarashi dango, sandwiches, shawarma, and pies.

After ordering their food, the two ventured to a park bench and ate their food there.

* * *

In a nutshell, the date was clingy but sweet.

Rossweisse stuck to Issei the whole time and she didn't even bother to leave his side as time went on.

The two were eating peacefully and were staring at the sunset. The yellow-gold sun was beginning to go down and stars and moons were beginning to materialize into the sky.

It was a beautiful sight.

Rossweisse turned to look at Issei and noticed a stain of food on his lips.

She took a napkin and gently wiped it. She noticed a stray strand of hair on Issei's face and brushed it aside. She even began to pat down some of the wrinkles in Issei's clothes. For the past few days, she had done this routine. Slowly, she felt that a strange new impulse was taking hold of her. She wanted Issei for herself. She said she was willing to share him with the other girls but she now felt like rescinding on that.

Issei noticed the look on her face and realized that something was wrong. She looked conflicted and even…sinister.

"I want to be the only one." Rossweisse muttered.

"Huh?" Issei looked at her and then his watch. His watch was blaring a red light and the hands were glowing green, with on hand pointing at Rossweisse. Even the band turned red. One of the new features for the watch was that it would start blinking whenever a girl's personality started changing. It was color-coded too.

Red – Yandere

Blue – Kuudere

Green – Tsundere

Yellow – Deredere

" _SHIT!_ " Issei cursed in his mind.

" _ **Partner! You have to stop her now before it's too late!**_ " Draig warned Issei quickly.

"If I can't have Issei as my husband…I'd rather die." Rossweisse declared darkly. These dark thoughts were erupting out of nowhere in her mind

"ROSSWEISSE! STOP IT!" Issei yelled loudly, causing her to snap out of her dark trance, scaring her even. In Issei's eyes, he saw anger and desperation. This made her tear up a little as her fragile mind shook a bit from his sudden outburst.

"Wha-?!" She stuttered.

"Don't you dare talk about dying again! We've gone through this before. The last time you talked about death, I told you that I'd protect you. If you try to hurt yourself, I'll protect you from hurting yourself!" Issei repeated his promise to her once more, causing Rossweisse to realize the nature of what she had just said.

"Even if other people insult you, I'll be here to counter them! Even if you look down on yourself and deem yourself unworthy of life, I'll be a reason to help you value yourself! Never talk about killing yourself and don't you dare belittle your life again!" Issei had recalled back to the times where he nearly lost Asia permanently twice. The first time when Raynare tore her sacred gear away from her and when Shalba nearly killed her. He also thought back to the times when Rias was gravely wounded by Regulus during the match with Sairaorg.

He also remembered the severe losses in that match and the anger he felt at watching all of them fall in front of him.

He didn't want to hear any more about his friends and loved ones dying.

Rossweisse realized the mistake she made by talking about dying again and began to tear up. She was touched by Issei's outburst and declaration. She never dated before so she had never felt romantic love before Issei.

"I…I'm sorry, Issei. I don't know what's happening to me." Rossweisse stammered as she began to sob. She was confused and disoriented. Just where did those suicidal thought come from?

Issei moved over to her and brought her into a tight and warm hug, bringing ease to Rossweisse as her sobs began to die down over time.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean to be so loud. Still, never talk about killing yourself again. You and everyone at home and all of our friends, are precious to me. I don't want you all to get hurt and I want to love and protect you and the other girls." Issei patted and rubbed her back to calm down Rossweisse's cries.

"I know, Issei-kun. I promise. I'll never talk about killing myself again." Rossweisse wrapped her arms around Issei, as if he were her lifeline.

The two parted a little and Issei looked her right in the eyes. He saw disorientation and confusion but she also saw love and light. He saw the tears in her eyes and wiped them away softly from her cheeks.

Rossweisse couldn't restrain herself any longer.

She rushed forward and crashed her lips against Issei's softly.

Tender passion, relief, and love were transmitted into the kiss. Unlike the other kisses, this one was warmer and much stronger in emotion. Time felt like it stood still with eternity taking the place of passing time.

Eventually, the two parted lips and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

Smiles were exchanged and even small laughs were expressed, with no words necessary, for they weren't enough to describe the happiness and relief in the air. There was relief for Issei, who was glad that Rossweisse didn't descend into destruction and there was happiness for Rossweisse, who had her feelings completely reciprocated, even if the love she received was shared.

The two silently walked home, with Rossweisse's head resting on Issei's shoulder the whole way.

* * *

When the two arrived home, it was obvious that Issei had advanced the relationship between him and Rossweisse. The others, who had already arrived home, were surprised by what they saw.

"More competition." The other girls sighed but accepted the event.

However, it seemed like there was a certain person who wasn't happy with the sudden occurrence. Akeno stared blankly at Issei, who was smiling brightly as he laughed jovially.

" _He's getting even farther away from me. Nononono. I can't let this continue._ " Akeno began to panic mentally as she felt a powerful pain in her heart.

Things weren't going to be quiet much longer. That is, it wasn't going to be silent for Issei and Akeno, who was at a breaking point.

* * *

 _ **Did I surprise you? Hahaha. I wanted to mess around a little. Speaking of. I couldn't resist messing with Vali since Ishibumi hasn't exactly done it yet. I wanted to mess with Vali's usual attitude to make him panicked and scared, even if only for a small time. Still, I liked how this chapter went. Rossweisse nearly turning yandere was something I wanted to play with since some derederes go yandere over time. Still, I stick to what I said. Akeno will only be the only one with actual yandere tendencies. Read, Review, Leave a Comment, and I'll see you next time.**_


	8. Replies to Reviewers 1

1/5/16

 _ **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sorry for the late post. Stuff came up. This is just a reply to all reviewers. Sorry this isn't particularly a new chapter. Anyways, to the point. I'm merely replying to the review/comment for each of my reviewers for this story. Sorry if you all felt ignored. I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL DXD OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS AND MATERIAL, THE ORIGINAL AND REAL NOVELIZED STORY IS WRITTEN AND OWNED BY ICHIE ISHIBUMI. Replies to reviewers are in alphabetical order.**_

* * *

 **1\. Ash Rheinmetal** _ **\- "I'm trying as best as I can to manage what I'm doing with the story and harem. Know that Issei is going to have more 'complicating' situations with Asia. I kinda like tsunderes too. I just don't like the overly abusive and spoiled tsunderes that abuse position or power."**_

 **2\. chiufan95** _ **\- "I get what you mean sometimes about OC stories. I like some and don't feel the energy with others. Hope you continue to like what I'm doing."**_

 **3\. DJenero** _ **\- "I was kinda panicking about how to handle yandere Akeno so I'm relieved that you approve of the touch I used. Sorry to say, Koneko wasn't another tsundere. I aimed to make each girl unique to the other in changes so that all of the girls don't go through the same thing. It'd be too easy for Issei if he couldn't overcome different situations."**_

 **4\. DragonMaster128** _ **\- "I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 2 and 3. I aim to please. And about Gabriel, the trait you suggested will be taken into suggestion. I'm not going to give any particular spoilers about what I'm currently planning for her though."**_

 **5\. God Emperor of Gar-halla** _ **\- "Sorry, God-Emperor. Yeah, I know it was a cheap laugh tactic but this story was originally intended for humor wasn't any chance of reality to drastically pop up in this story. I wasn't aiming for reality with this story in particular. This was something I tried to do in order to avoid mingling with the original storyline. Sorry to disappoint you. I appreciate the response to my story. Hope you'll still read and provide feedback."**_

 **6\. Heath Oslo** _ **\- "Thanks for the request for the next chapter. It helped encourage me to work harder for the next chapter."**_

 **7\. Hyoudou Issei The Oppai Dragon** _ **\- "No worries, I have absolutetly no intentions of making Akeno a true yandere. She's not going to committ murder and she won't be trying to kidnap/r*** Issei."**_

 **8\. kencentipede** _ **-**_ _ **"Thanks! I appreciate the compliment. I'm still an amateur writer so there's alot more I need to improve on."**_

 **9\. NecrorexSparda Juubi-No-Kishin** _ **\- "I absolutely planned on your suggestion. Still, Ishibumi did something similar to what I originally planned to do. I won't do it like how he did in an DX story. Rest assured, I've taken your suggestion but I won't spoil anything. Also, since Asia is tsundere, Akeno is a yandere, Koneko isn't exaclty in the Dere category. Koneko has a change of personality that is more like a cute girl that'll use her charms in appropriate situations, particularly if it involves Issei. And no, School Days will not. cannot. must not happen in here."**_

 **10\. redclaw39** _ **\- "I hope you're satisfied with what I did for Ravel and the other girls so far. Seeing as how Rossweisse was deredere, Koneko was cute, Asia was tsundere, Rias was shy, Xenovia was strict, Irina was daring, and Akeno was yandere, I didn't have too many options to use to make her unique to the others."**_

 **11\. Shubham** _ **\- "I plan to see this story to the end, so I hope you'll continue to read this story."**_

 **12\. Vexy Minion** _ **\- "Haha. Thanks for the support. I appreciate it and know that I'm seeing this through to the end. And I quote from the movie "The One". 'I am Yu Law, I'm nobody's bitch.' Haha! Lol. "**_

 **13\. Xerozzuro** _ **\- "I'm not sure there's much to be learned from this chapter. I'm just an amatuer writer. Still, I'm happy to see that you liked this story. And indeed, this awesome story is flowing through my veins and soon...I will reach Balance Breaker!"**_

 _ **For the current guest replier, I want to reply so that you know that I appreciate your comment.**_

 _ **14.**_ **Guest 1** _ **\- "Thank you. I tried to think of an orginal sotry for a long time and I finally came down to this one. And seeing as how Azazel makes wacky stuff from time to time, I used him to start this story."**_

* * *

 _ **On the final note, I thank all of you for taking the time to reply and read my first story. The feedback, whether negative or positive, helps me grow. Sorry to disappoint some of you but know that this storyline is under my planning. I can't satisfy everyone without jeopardizing my original intentions for what happens. This story was meant to bring a laugh, amusement, or some joy for people who wanted to read this story. Again, I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL DXD AND ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS AND MATERIAL.**_


	9. Chapter 8: Worries Laid To Rest

_**As I said, promised, and was requested: This is the Akeno chapter that some have come to fear! And as I have sworn: Akeno is not going full-hardcore yandere. Well, at the least, she won't be hurting anybody physically. So I will be laying some worries to rest.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Worries Laid to Rest**

The school week had started again and Issei had forced himself to school, despite his desire to cling to his bed in comfort, with his many beautiful lovers.

He trudged into the school and slowly made his way to his classroom. Throughout his walk, he could feel a presence from a distance. It was strong and intimidating and yet, it felt familiar.

He turned around and looked everywhere behind him. He scanned the hallway, doors, corridors, and the windows and saw nothing. A bad sign.

He walked into his classroom but suddenly, and comically, shot his head behind him again. This time, he saw some black hair disappearing through a corner.

"That…looks familiar." Issei paused as he pondered through the list of people that he knew that had black hair.

Entering his classroom and sitting through class, Issei was too distracted to even pay attention to the teacher's lecture. Somehow, the teacher didn't notice his disinterest, however.

"Well, there's Sairaorg-san, Cao Cao, Ophis, Serafall-san, Kuroka, Baraqiel, and...Akeno-san." Issei hesitated and paused at the last part since he _really_ didn't want to say it, even though he knew that Akeno was definitely the one he saw in the hallway.

"That last episode was too close." Issei exhaled as he thought about how close Rossweisse got to becoming a yandere. That was too close for comfort.

He remembered how her eyes were slowly going cold and lifeless with her voice turning monotone. A staple for yanderes, really.

However, he had dealt with that problem and was now close to the end of the Personality Ray fiasco. Akeno and Rias were the only ones left.

Issei's watch also indicated that the Personality Ray's effects were weakening with the other girls, who were slowly returning to normal after such a lengthy period.

Still, Akeno and Rias were still the only ones who were exhibiting the strongest personality changes. Akeno was becoming much more possessive of Issei and didn't even like it when he talked about other girls too much. Rias was still as shy as ever. She wouldn't sleep nude with him anymore and slept with him less often. She was still caring and doting, but she wasn't willing to get sexual with him.

Even suggesting sexual intercourse made her head steam and her face went red like her hair.

However, the biggest problem now was Akeno.

She cooked for him, bathed with him, and even slept with him almost 24/7 for the past few days.

She wouldn't drop her gaze on him and would always try to appease him, however she could.

She tried to wear lacy lingerie to arouse his pervert nature, to much success, and would tease him through the night.

However, most of the time, he avoided her. He was nervous, after all. He didn't want her yandere side to fully manifest and bring harm to herself and the others around her.

Issei noticed that there were times where she simply glared at other girls that expressed romantic interest in him.

Even Kiyome Abe got the stink eye from Akeno.

Lately, he noticed that Akeno was folloiwing him. He even went inside her room and searched one of her secret drawers. How he found one, he didn't know. Inside, he saw a litter of photos of him. They were of him naked, showering, eating, walking, smiling, laughing, and even some of his childhood photos were included.

The other day, Issei had a terrifying incident with her.

 **FLASHBACK**

It was around 2 days ago that an incident with Akeno happened.

He was playing video games in his room and he had just gotten his hands on a video game that he had wanted for awhile. It was a collector's edition too. It was called **Super Smashing Warriors**. It was like a crossover fighting game for characters of different video games. Some new character called Striding Storm got included. The guy wielded a giant sword and was really famous in the gaming industry. Fans went nuts when he came out as DLC.

Issei had been playing for 30 minutes until his door creaked open.

It was opened slowly and the opening was very quiet if not silent.

From out the hallway, Akeno walked in slowly with a tray of sandwiches and cups of tea.

She was smiling brightly and was giggling happily as she set the tray down next to Issei.

"Issei, I brought some food for you to eat." Akeno sat down as she took a look at what Issei was playing.

"This looks fun. Can I play?" Akeno looked at Issei as she inched closer to him.

Issei nodded excitedly as Akeno picked up a controller.

"I can never get any of the other girls to play with me. Well, except for Ophis." Issei remarked jovially while Akeno's eyebrow twitched.

"I asked all of the other girls but they never want to play against me in this game. It makes me sad sometimes." Issei rubbed the back of his head until he felt a presence close to him.

Suddenly, Asia peeked in from the doorway with her head sticking out.

"Issei-san is too competitive in that game! He's so mean and stupid! He never gives anyone a chance! He even used [ **Bilingual** ] when I won too many times! He even ogled Rossweisse-sensei and Rias-Oneechan when they were playing with him! The whole time, he was being a slack-jawed perv." Asia shouted as she huffed and left.

Issei knew danger was coming and he was right.

He looked to his right and saw Akeno staring at him with yandere eyes.

"You kept on mentioning other girls the whole time we played instead of saying anything about me. You even used [Bilingual] on Asia's breasts to cheat and you even stared at Rossweisse's and Rias's chests. Not even once have you paid attention to me. Tell me Issei, are you getting it on with the other girls? Are you having intercourse with them? Are you? Huh? Tell me? Answer me? Why? Hmm? What have you been doing? Tell me the truth? If you don't, I'll hurt you." The last comment scared Issei senseless so he gave an honest answer. Akeno's lightning aura didn't fail to rush him either.

"No! Of course not!" Issei shouted, snapping Akeno out of her yandere trance.

Sensing his honesty, Akeno calmed down and Issei was allowed to breath in relief again.

"I see. I guess you're right. I know that Issei-kun is still a patient person." Akeno returned to playing video games with Issei, though the tense atmosphere hadn't disappeared much.

 **FLASHBACK END**

* * *

Issei knew that he had to deal with the matter. He needed to get Akeno's jealousy levels to decrease or even disappear. But how?

What was difficult was that Issei wasn't sure how to approach the matter.

He didn't want to dig the hole any deeper for himself by chaining himself to her if he misused words but he couldn't spend too much time thinking or things might worsen.

He recalled the incident when Akeno was basically tasing the lady that tried to seduce Issei. It wasn't exactly pleasant and Issei feared that one of these days, Akeno might do worse.

He had to take action. If the matter came to force, then so be it, but Issei wanted to make sure that it didn't come to that.

" _ **Partner, I might have a plan. One of my previous hosts had this problem before. He was able to deal with it by finding the original source for the yandere tendencies. In that case, the so-called yandere was mentally fragile and was afraid of losing my host. In response, my host swore eternal loyalty and love to her. She may have been a part of a harem but she was able to cope and over time, her yandere tendencies disappeared completely. This situation is a bit brighter. The Akeno-girl is only temporarily a yandere. If you can find the source of her mental distress, you can end the problem before it escalates.**_ " Draig's wise counsel helped give Issei an idea. It was a gamble but it was something to work with.

And so, Issei set out to do just that.

He needed a plan...a _really good_ plan.

Considering yandere tendencies, Akeno was likely to be spying on his moves whenever her yandere side became active.

Issei gazed down at his watch and saw that it wasn't activating.

He made sure to especially take good care of his watch. He couldn't risk losing or breaking it since it was his only way of knowing when a girl was acting under the Personality Ray's effects.

Next, he had to think of how to appeal to Akeno so that it would bring ease and calmness to her mind. He decided that S&M was far too insane for him to engage in. He was trying to survive and cure the situation, not enhance the threat.

Her relationship with her father was as strained as it used to be but their connection wasn't close like it used to be either. Issei wasn't exactly on the most friendly of speaking terms with him either. Meeting with the girl's father was out of the question.

He took Asia shopping and arcade gaming. Koneko went to the Amusement Park. Xenovia went to the book store. Irina didn't really go anywhere with him. Ravel went to the Winter Festival with him. Lastly, Rossweisse went shopping with him, with a small walk in the park. Issei wanted to make sure that the date he would take each girl on was one to remember.

"What to do?" Issei pondered to himself for a long time. What was the best way to get Akeno in a good mood?

He decided that he would try and do something more romantic. What he had planned...was a secret.

"Step 1: Get her in an approachable situation. Akeno isn't exactly the type to spy on me at every waking moment when at home. My video cameras and magical monitors have proven that. Step 2: Approach the problem with different topics. Step 3: Directly ask about the issue. Step 4: Confess my feelings." Issei turned around a corner and into the kitchen, where the personage of his worries manifested. Akeno smiled brightly at Issei as she finished cooking miso soup. She hummed happily as she stirred the contents of the pot on the stove. Little did Issei know, things were not going to go how he planned it.

* * *

When breakfast was done cooking, Akeno and Issei had set the table and laid out bowls, plates, and chopsticks.

The whole time, Akeno was giggling and blushing. Issei assumed it was because she was spending time alone with him.

When everyone gathered at the Dining Room Table, Akeno made sure to sit with Issei.

"Issei-san, can I sit next to- " Asia's tsundere tone was cut off by Akeno. She glared at Asia with a literal electric and shocking aura ( _ **Pun intended**_ ). Scared off, Asia didn't say another thing and chose to sit next to Rias, hoping for protection.

"Here, Issei. Aaaahhh." Akeno held up a cut piece of pork cutlet, and held it in front of Issei's mouth.

"Aaahhh." Issei graciously at the piece of meat and savored its delicious taste.

"How is it?" Akeno nervously, but sweetly, questioned her performance. She hoped that Issei liked her own special recipe. She spent a large amount of time making it for him. She wanted to satisfy him and wanted to please him.

"It's awesome! I can't get enough of this." Issei proudly declared as Akeno laughed with sheer relieved delight. If Issei was dissatisfied, she had no idea how she would take it.

Akeno held up another piece and fed it to Issei, who ate it happily. However, a thought popped up in Issei's head.

"Akeno-san, haven't you eaten yet?"

Akeno dismissed the issue calmly.

"I've already eaten."

With breakfast over, Issei decided that he would wait for Akeno to be alone in order to ask her out. He wasn't going to do it in front of the other girls, since he knew they'd get jealous.

When Akeno was washing the dishes alone, Issei approached her. He took a look at his watch and saw that it wasn't activating. It was time to make his move.

"Akeno, let me help you." Issei used a first-name basis to get her in a happy mood, and it worked to great effect.

"It's fine, Issei-kun." Akeno tried not to bother him with her workload, but Issei wouldn't have it.

"I want to help. You cooked breakfast and practically fed me, so let me help you."

Akeno couldn't exactly argue with him when he seemed so insistent on helping with the dishes.

Halfway through the pile in the sink, Issei sprung his question.

"Hey, Akeno?"

Said woman looked at him, with cheerful curiosity.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go on a date?" Issei smoothly asked her with a disarming smile.

This question completely caught Akeno off-guard.

" _He-he-he-he-he wants to go on a date?! Kya! I'm so lucky and happy! Of course!_ " Akeno was shouting inward happily as she started to giddily giggle in reality.

"Of course, Issei." Akeno dived forward and hugged Issei happily as she pressed her very well-gifted bosom onto Issei.

" _This softness. This elasticity. This firmness. I will never get enough of this pleasurable sensation._ " Issei smiled like a lucky perv, much to Akeno's joy.

" _Issei, I'll make you fall for me and then...I'll keep you for myself forever."_ Akeno darkly thought to herself as she planned to put in her own little deviations for the date.

"Great. We'll meet up at the door then. How about we both wear formal clothes too?" Issei took control of the situation as he made sure to be careful not to give Akeno an opportunity to let her yandere tendencies loose.

A half-hour later, Issei waited at the door, wearing a nice red shirt with a black formal coat and black pants. He was even wearing a black tie to go with his suit.

Steps echoed from the stairs, attracting Issei's attention. He was stunned to see Akeno in all her elegant glory. She was wearing a black dress with black high-heels. Her hair was tied with a purple ribbon and she wore silver ear-rings and a diamond-jeweled bracelet. In short, she was shockingly stunning.

The private theater they were going to was owned and managed by the Gremory family in the Human World.

Deciding to do things the human way, Issei called a cab to the front of his home and walked with Akeno to the car.

He opened the door to the back seat and allowed Akeno to enter first.

"Thank you." Akeno briefly thanked him as she elegantly sat in the back.

Issei soon followed her in and closed the door. Giving the driver the directions to the theater, the taxi drove off.

After a 20 minute drive, the pair arrived to a large theater that had neon red letters saying 'Red Duke Cinema'. The title was enough to hint at the owners of the theater.

Opening a door for Akeno, Issei took her hand and helped her out of the cab.

Paying the driver, the taxi sped off and the pair walked into the theater.

Akeno was in an ultra-happy mood. She took a look at what was playing and saw that a large mix of human films and devil films were airing.

One movie in particular had caught her eye.

" **Striding Love**." Akeno muttered as she considered suggesting it to Issei.

She looked at him and saw that he was looking at her the whole time.

"What did you want to watch?" Issei sweetly asked her with a charming smile.

Akeno could've sworn that she had seen sparkles around him.

"U-Um. I kinda wanted to watch **Striding Love**. I heard that it was very good and that it was very touching." Akeno bashfully whispered out as she realized that Issei was pouring all of his attention on her. This made her _soooo_ happy. It was enough to make her crackle with lightning again.

Issei merely nodded and walked over to the ticket booth and bought tickets for two.

Stopping by the snack register, Issei and Akeno considered what to order since the movie was about 2 hours long.

"What about a large popcorn to share?" Akeno suggested softly. Her eyes were warm and enticing and a small blush was spreading on her face.

In truth, Issei was in the mood for the cheesecake bar specialty that the theater was known for.

"Hmmmm. I don't know." Issei wanted to make Akeno happy but at the same time he _really_ loved cheesecake.

Akeno began to tear up a little as she felt like her charms had failed. This was the yet another time her charms had failed. The one other time was when she tried to sleep with him in order to comfort her aching heart when her estranged father showed up after her first date with Issei. She began to think about how much closer the other girls were getting to Issei. She just could not take it. The thought of Issei going away made her heart ache and her mental stability would crack a little.

Issei noticed her sad look and put his arm around her shoulder and gently squeezed it. This gesture grabbed Akeno's attention as she looked at him.

Issei beamed warmly at her and walked to the register. Not even once, did he gaze at his watch as his sense alerted him to her distress.

"One large popcorn, please. Oh, and 1 soda and 1 water please." Akeno completely lost her dreary mood and smiled in relief when Issei cast aside his own wants and chose hers instead.

Walking back to her, Issei gestured toward the room that they were supposed to go and watch their movie.

Akeno cheerfully strode alongside him and walked into the dimly lit room with a large screen.

Taking comfortable seats that had a great view of the screen, the pair sat down.

Soon, the lights darkened and previews began to air.

One particular preview was a bit embarrassing for Issei.

" _Good thing this place is for Devils only. I'd die of embarrassment and shame if any human saw this._ " Issei glumly stated in his mind.

Draig wasn't even going to respond.

Currently, a preview for an **Oppai Dragon Movie** was playing.

" _Today, once and for all, I will touch Switch Princess's Oppai and claim victory over you, Darkness Fang Knight! You and your evil ways will end! Oryaaaa! Dragon Kick!_ " The Issei look-alike shouted on the screen as his double jumped into the air and kicked the Kiba look-alike in the chest.

Shame wasn't enough to describe Issei's embarrassment as he witnessed the movie that was being made based on him. It was great and all and it was worth it to watch children smile because of him, but it was still something that he wasn't completely used to yet.

Akeno giggled lightly at his shame and patted him on the shoulder lightly, confirming to him that she thought he looked heroic.

" _Aah, what the hell. This embarrassment is all worth it._ " Issei mentally declared to himself as he held her hand gently.

Akeno blushed like a red pepper as the small intimate gesture made her lose composure.

" _Aaaah. I'm holding hands with Issei! This can't get better!_ " Akeno inwardly shouted as she smiled with sparkles glowing around her.

" _The radiance is so strong. This much light might actually harm me!_ " Issei was forced to close his eyes a little as Akeno sprouted a bright aura that lit up the whole room. Thank goodness that the room was privately reserved.

The preview then destroyed the mood as the next line for **Oppai Dragon the Movie** was delivered.

 **WARNING! WARNNING! SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL! WARNING! WARNING!**

"I'm out of strength." Oppai dragon collapsed as his bruised and broken armor began to disappear.

"Oppai Dragon!" The Rias look-alike rushed forward and caressed Oppai dragon warmly.

"Go ahead." Switch Princess's line made Issei and even Akeno, do a spit-take.

The fake Issei moved to his mouth to the fake Rias's chest and a shocking action was delivered.

" _Just kill me already!_ " Issei was ready to drop lifelessly to the ground now. If Rias saw this, she'd die of shame.

Soon, the movie began to play, and the two fell silent and simply enjoyed the movie.

When the protagonist declared his love for the heroine in the film, Akeno couldn't help but wish that Issei would do the same for her. So far, the film was about a hero who was slowly attracting the attention of other women. As the hero slowly forgot about the main heroine, they drifted apart and months went by. Soon, the hero and main heroine met again. Slowly, they rekindled their friendship and love even blossomed, until other women intervened. Akeno then felt a pang in her chest as she realized the film's plot was mirroring hers.

The other women in Issei's harem were gaining leads and she still hadn't made a real move on him yet. She hadn't yet openly and directly declared her love for him yet. She had to do it, or the other women would steal him away forever. Akeno couldn't handle that.

Finally, the film ended and the hero and main heroine had ended up not being together. Their love was torn apart by the multiple relationships that the protagonist was having. When Akeno saw it, she started to panic a little when she wondered if the same would happen to her and Issei.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Issei kindly took her hand and guided her outside.

Akeno could only blush and feel giddy as Issei opened the door for them both.

What was revealed to her was an surprising sight. Awaiting outside, was a white carriage being carted around by a white horse and a black horse.

Issei helped Akeno onto the carriage and soon entered himself.

The ride was nothing short of magnificent. It was quiet and even romantic as Akeno held Issei's hand close to her. He held her hand the whole ride and even pointed out certain things to her on the scenic route that they were taking to dinner.

They were riding through a park that was lightly covered in snow. There were even some rabbits and squirrels out that Akeno thought was cute.

The carriage ride soon came to an end and a restaurant had come into sight.

It was a fancy first-class, Michelin three-star restaurant.

Akeno was amazed that Issei would choose to take her to such a place. It looked like he was trying to outdo himself this time. However, that wasn't Issei's intention. He wanted to try and make all of the girls in his harem happy whenever he took any of them out on a date. He took Asia clothes shopping and arcade gaming to give her a taste of normal life. He went with Koneko to the Amusement Park to let her have fun like how she used to with Kuroka. He also took Ravel to a festival so that she could have her dream of being with a shining knight come true. That little detail about her was told to him by Riser. He also took Rossweisse shopping for whatever she desired since she needed something positive happening for her. Still, he needed to take Xenovia, Irina, and Rias out on real and proper dates now. It wouldn't be fair and he actually looked forward to doing it. In fact, he wanted to do something with all of the girls in his harem again.

Akeno happened to like romantic things so this was something that Issei had planned out to be the most romantic date he had so far.

"Shall we go in?" Issei offered his hand to Akeno, who took it graciously.

They walked into the restaurant and saw that it had a smooth wooden floor, chandelier lights, white stone walls, paneled glass windows, and even balconies.

Issei walked over to the counter sever and called in on his reservation for one of the balcony tables.

A waiter came over to them and guided them to a white clothed table that was in a roofed balcony that was separated from the inner room by 2 doors. A private room really.

Taking their seats and glancing at their menus, Issei looked up at the night and saw the shining full moon glowing in the sky.

"It's beautiful tonight." Issei remarked as Akeno nodded in agreement.

Issei was a bit surprised that Akeno's yandere side hadn't actually happened so far. That was a good sign but he knew better. Something was going to trigger it sooner or later.

After ordering food. the pair began to make small talk.

"So now that you and Buchou graduated, what's going to happen at home now?"

"We'll simply go to university and back. The only difference now is that we'll simply be going to different places during the day." Akeno sweetly confirmed that she was going to remain by his side.

This brought Issei relief. He just loved seeing Akeno and everyone else at home. It brought joy to his heart. He'd never tire of it, that's for sure.

When their first course came, Akeno was pleased to see a delicious appetizer.

Over the course of the meal, Issei continued to make light talk.

"Akeno, are you going to get into serious Rating Games with Buchou?"

"Of course." Akeno's reply was bright and happy.

"When you become a High Class Devil, will you get a peerage?"

"I don't know yet."

That particular question made Issei a bit worried. What if Akeno left everyone behind when she became independent. He loved her. He really did. He wanted to spend an eternity with her and the others for however long he could.

"I see. Well, I wonder how Buchou would feel." Issei absent mindedly commented on this part.

"Buchou might feel a bit sad but also happy when we all become High-Class Devils."

"Probably." Akeno was starting to feel a little...bothered.

"I want Buchout to smile but I still want to become independent one day."

Akeno lost her sweet smile a little when she thought about Issei leaving everyone behind, specifically her.

"Buchou has given me land already, so I think I'll use that place to live when I leave." Issei felt a little nervous when he thought about the future but that was unavoidable.

Little did he know, Akeno's patience was rapidly wearing thin. The constant mention of Rias was making her heart ache when she knew that Rias and Issei would probably marry. The fact that Xenovia and Asia were planning on following him had also reached her ears. Irina was no longer tied down either, since Angels were allowed to breed and love openly now. Issei talking about leaving wasn't helping either.

Finally, she was snapped out of her question when Issei directed a question to her yet again.

"Akeno?" Issei sounded a little worried when Akeno looked at him.

"Yes?" She felt a little lost when she looked at him but that was to be expected.

"I was wondering if you had talked with your father lately."

Akeno remembered that she had recently talked with her father a few days ago. He had completely worried over her strange behavior but masked it well. Azazel had filled him in on what happened and it frightened and worried Baraqiel when he found out what happened to Akeno. He even punched Azazel in the gut for leaving his inventions lying around again. This wasn't the first time Azazel's inventions had run amok.

"Yes. We merely talked about my University plans and his health. There wasn't much going on. Still, it makes me happy to know that he's feeling well. He even got into an accident and spilled paint all over Grigori's headquarters due to a new invention." Akeno made a heartfelt smile, one that she didn't notice that she was making.

Issei smiled as he felt relieved. Akeno's formerly estranged relationship with her father was vanishing. She could even smile and laugh when talking about her father and his occasional blunders.

"I see. That's great then."

Over time, the conversation got onto more serious subjects.

"Issei...there's something I want to talk about." Akeno's tone got a bit tense, raising Issei's senses to high alert.

"About what?"

"For the past few weeks, you've been going out a lot. You go out for such a long time and you don't ever say anything about it. Can you tell me what you've been doing?" Akeno's tone turned urgent and even desperate.

Issei decided that he couldn't lie. It'd only make the situation worse.

"I...I've been going out on dates with the other girls." Issei confessed.

Little did he expect, Akeno actually took it well enough, but even then, that wasn't true.

"I...see." Akeno looked down. Her bangs covered her face but Issei knew that her eyes were still containing luster and life.

"Who did you take so far?"

"I took Asia, Koneko, Xenovia, Ravel, and Rossweisse."

Issei looked up and looked Akeno in the eyes. She looked absolutely sad and sorrowful. The list had finally made her snap.

"Issei-kun...took almost all of the other girls, huh?" Akeno sounded so sad and downtrodden that it actually hurt Issei's heart to hear her sound so broken.

" _I guess I've lost him. I've really lost Issei-kun. The others took him away. I guess...this means that I have the least meaning to him. He didn't consider me until now. Until I was last. Rias is already his girlfriend._ " Akeno was going off in her own mind. Her eyes slowly turned lifeless and sorrowful. Her eyes turned blank but her voice was shaky and sad. It was as if she was about to break down into tears.

"Sorry, Issei-kun. I can't stay anymore. My mother left, then my father, and now you. I can't stay."

Akeno got up and ran out of the restaurant. Issei took a good look at her as she ran off and saw tears trailing her path. Dumbstruck and confounded at himself, Issei sat in his seat for a good 5 minutes. He contemplated about his bluntness and naivety. He _had_ to fix this. No matter the cost.

Issei now realized where Akeno's yandere tendencies sprouted from. It was from her mental dependency on those close to her. Especially the men close to her like her father and himself.

Issei paid the bill and tip and ran off after Akeno.

" _ **Partner, you better hurry back to the house. She ran off and went back. I can sense her there now.**_ " Draig advised Issei much to his thanks.

"Thanks, Draig." Issei dashed down the street to where nobody would see, and teleported back home in a matter of seconds.

In a flash of light, he saw that the Main Living Room was still in order and everyone was watching TV in the Main Room, so it was clear that Akeno hadn't harmed anyone yet.

Issei ran into the room and made sure to give them a strict message.

"Everyone, no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, don't come upstairs!" Issei declared, mainly to Rias so that she could control the other girls. Rias understood what he was trying to do and nodded with a smile.

She had saw Akeno come crying home minutes earlier and heard her run to her room. Akeno had been a sobbing and sniffling mess. When Issei came back in a panicked state, she knew that Issei would fix the problem.

Issei ran to up the stairs and stopped outside of Akeno's room.

He could hear sobbing and things crashing in her room.

Inside, Akeno was throwing her things around. She was even zapping some objects with lightning. There was a powerful pain and rage in her heart right now. Words weren't even enough to describe it. She threw her belongings around, tore clothes, smashed objects, and generally tried to vent out whatever it was that was hammering away at her heart. Yet, it seemed that no matter what, physical action wasn't doing anything to quell her pain.

"GGGGAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Akeno let out a long and loud wail of despair. She didn't care if anyone heard her since her room was soundproofed anyway.

Akeno sank to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably with her face in her hands.

" _It hurts so much! Why?! Why?! Why did Issei-kun leave me for last?! It feels as if he just left me for last because he didn't want to deal with me! He's been going on dates with all of the other girls and they all come home laughing and smiling! I tried to charm him and he just brushes everything off! He even chose Rias and even Asia over me! I can't stand seeing him with other women. Every time he's with them, my heart hurts and I just get so enraged. I want to tear them away from him! I want him for myself! I want to be the only woman he loves with all his heart! I want to be his wife! I want to be his one and only lover! I can't take it anymore! I can't take it anymore! I can't take it anymore! I can't take it anymore!"_ Akeno felt her mental stability and strength breaking as she sensed that her heart was doing the same. Every time she thought about Issei and the other girls, she felt something in her break.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"Akeno screamed out loud as her barrier around her room wore off.

Issei, for once in the entire day, took a look at his watch. It was blaring a red light. The clock hands were glowing green and were pointing at the door. The band had also turned dark red. Issei didn't care though. One of the women that he loved was crying her heart out and was destroying her room. That was absolutely something that Issei couldn't let happen or else irreparable damage would occur.

"I shouldn't have said anything! Why was I so stupid?!" Issei beat himself up mentally as he tried to sum up some courage and his thoughts.

 _ **"It's not your fault, Partner. You knew that if you lied, it would've made things worse. By telling the truth, you reduced the impact and it lessened the emotional blow. Now, you have to get your point through. Think clearly and confess how you truly feel about her. Break her away from her harmful artifical thoughts."**_ Draig calmly comforted Issei as he eased out of self-punishment.

"Thanks, Draig. I've got this now." Issei knocked on the door with powerful resolution. He made sure to knock loud enough so that Akeno would hear. Silence followed as the doorknob shuffled.

The door opened slightly, revealing Akeno's face. Her eyes were still lifeless and yandere-like. Issei could see behind her and saw her room in shambles. Glass was shattered, her bed was a mess. Clothes were thrown around and her belongings were scattered around.

It seemed like Akeno was in total inner conflict. She couldn't find a target to vent her rage and pain on, so she chose her room.

"Why are you here? Don't you want to go on a date with the other girls? I'm last place, after all." Akeno sounded like she was going to snap and unsurprisingly, she did within a few short seconds.

"You ogle the other girls. You try to strip them and you always try to have your way. You went out with the other girls and captured their hearts. And now, you leave me, a fallen angel abomination, for last. You've avoided me for the past few weeks and you look at me with frightened eyes. You always backed away and you tried not to say anything around me. It makes me angry. It makes me so sad and angry that I want to hurt something. I want to tear apart the other girls for taking you from me. I want to stab you for making me feel so much pain. You've kept me waiting for so long that I've gotten so confused. My head hurts and my heart hurts. No matter what I say or do, it won't go away. SO GO AWAY!" Akeno's ranted words were hateful venom and what was even more disturbing was that her voice was flat and monotone.

"Akeno, I'm so,so, so sorry. Can you please...let me in?" Issei had to get in so that he could make his peace without interruption.

For a moment, a glare was sent his way, but Akeno opened the door so Issei could answer. It seemed like Akeno still had some rationality in her mind.

As Akeno closed the door, Issei turned around and grabbed Akeno's shoulders.

"Akeno...I'm so sorry. I know that it looked like you were saved least for last, but believe me, that was never my intention. Akeno, I left you last because I didn't know how to approach you. I was nervous and worried out of my mind. I didn't want you to misunderstand anything. I spent so much time being confused because I didn't want to let anything go wrong when I went out on a date with you. I didn't want you to get hurt either when the others said something suggestive. You always tease me. You always spoil and support me. You even comfort me when nobody else can. You helped get rid of Raynare's curse. You helped me feel confident about loving again. You're beautiful, talented, strong, smart, and sexy. You went through so much and it makes me want to help you make up for your sad childhood. I want you to know that you and all of the other girls are all important to me." Issei's words had gotten to Akeno to full effect but she still had more to say.

"I...I don't...want. I don't want to lose you to the other girls! I lost my mother! I pushed away my father! And I almost lost you to Shalba and Samael's Curse. When you almost died, you were all I could think about! I spent every second crying for you! Now, you've been getting so close to the others and I've fallen back in the race! I want to wake up every morning in your arms! I want to have a family with you! I want to have a future with you! I can't do that if the other girls have taken you! I love you so much that it hurts! It hurts, Issei! My heart can't take the distance that's spreading between us!" Akeno finished her piece. It felt good to let her heart out. It brought a calm relief to her heart but it wasn't enough.

Akeno looked at Issei with desperate and sobbing eyes. Issei looked at her and knew what he had to do to relieve her pain.

"Akeno, I promise, I won't leave you. I won't die again like before. I know that you're scared and worried about losing the people that you depend on. So I swear, I will always love you! I won't abandon you!" Issei declared out loud to her as Akeno's eyes widened in surprise.

Suddenly, Issei lovingly placed his lips over Akeno's. The tender and passion-filled kiss confirmed to her that she wasn't last place. In fact, it was as if she was in 2nd or even tied for 1st place. In Issei's head, he wasn't ranking any of the girls. They were all equal.

At first, Akeno froze and was taken aback by the surprise kiss, but she slowly leaned into it and reciprocated it. This was their first, full, real kiss. Akeno's lips were soft and her tongue tasted sweet with her saliva mingling with Issei's. Akeno couldn't get enough with the intimate contact with Issei. She was loving every minute of it.

After a whole minute, they broke apart for air.

When Issei looked at Akeno, he could see that she was crying all over again.

Akeno wiped the tears from her eyes as her anger, pain, and sadness vanished. In their place, happiness, relief, and comfort emerged. Akeno's eyes had also regained their life and energy, with the yandere look completely disappearing.

"You...you have no...no idea...how long...I've wanted to...to hear t-that." Akeno spoke between sobs as she hugged Issei an instant, Akeno repaired her room with magic and pushed Issei down onto her now fixed bed. She laid her head down on his muscled and toned chest and relaxed.

"I'm so sorry for making you so sad. I'm so sorry for making you wait and despair. Will you forgive me?" Issei softly begged for her apology.

Akeno shook her head.

"No, it's fine, Issei. There's no need to say sorry. I know that you didn't mean to hurt me. Right now...I'm so happy that I just want to shout it to the world. I love you, Issei. Please, continue to make me happy." Akeno moved up to give Issei another kiss as the two fell into passion and kissed for another full minute.

The hour soon grew late and Issei and Akeno decided that it was already very late, and they wanted to spend a night alone so they agreed to sleep together in one bed.

Of course, nothing sexual besides kissing happened that night, so it saved much grief.

The next morning, Akeno kissed Issei awake.

"Good morning, Issei." She smiled sweetly as Issei's vision cleared to reveal the beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko.

She was dressed in nothing and Issei was left in just a simple shirt and shorts.

"Good morning, Akeno." Issei quickly kissed her before rising out of bed.

"I'm getting breakfast ready so get changed and come down when you're ready." Akeno happily walked out of the room, leaving Issei to his own happy thoughts.

Issei looked at his watch and saw that the clock hands had turned green but the watch was blaring red with the light soon turning white and the clock hands turned turquoise. This signified that Akeno had lost her yandere tendencies but she hadn't lost the effects of the Personality Ray yet, or perhaps she did.

When Issei walked down to the Dining Room Table, he sat next to Rias, who was sitting to his right, and they smiled at each other lovingly. Issei looked around and felt like good things were just about to get started. As soon as he went on that date with Rias, anyway.

Akeno soon took the seat to Issei's left and quickly kissed him on the lips.

The other girls, including Rias, looked at her with shocked and outraged looks.

"AAAAHHHH!" They all shouted in unison.

"Ufufufufufu." Akeno chuckled as she took a hold of Issei's arm.

Issei looked at her kindly as he became entranced by Akeno's relaxed and joyful smile.

" _Now, all that's left is to go on that date with Buchou. Better make it good. I wonder if she'll let me get ecchi with her too? She's been shy lately._ " While Issie pondered, Rias looked at him with a longing and blushed look.

"Issei..." Rias muttered with a soft voice.

One more date in the harem, or so Rias and Issei thought.

* * *

 _ **Wow. This was kinda dramatic. I never planned to make Akeno's yandere side pop out too much in this chapter since it would get too far into yandere territory. Eventually horror and tragedy would've followed if I let her yandere side escalate. This chapter and the next are still not the end to this story though, in case you were wondering. There's still Gabriel. Anyways, read, review, and I will see next time.**_


	10. Chapter 9: Red and Crimson

_**Oh boy. This was probably the hardest chapter for me to write so far. Anyways, for the Rias x Issei fans out there, this one's for ya'll. I still support Issei x Harem though.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Red and Crimson**

Issei was relieved that Akeno was no longer exhibiting severe yandere traits. She stopped stalking him and was giving him personal space. The odd thing was that she wasn't going "ufufufufu" anymore or "ara ara" either. It looked like she wasn't truly back to normal yet.

Issei was currently about to leave for school but he caught sight of Rias looking at him. Her eyes were full of longing but also reluctance. Her blue/green eyes were staring intently at him but he saw her clutching her left breast. ( _ **Rias has blue eyes in the Light Novel and Green in the Anime so take your pick by preference.**_ )

This gesture made Issei kind of uneasy. He hadn't had close contact with his girlfriend in awhile actually. He was so caught up with the other girls that he had been unable to make time for her. Asia's constant demands didn't help either. She was contantly trying to hog him whenever she could.

In the end, Issei knew that the girls were merely acting on their feelings for him so he didn't mind their antics in particular.

* * *

Class was boring in Issei's opinion. The teacher just lectured and rambled on and didn't do much, in Issei's opinion.

Walking to home from school, Issei walked out of the gate entrance and turned to his right after seeing something from out of the corner of his eye. His guess correct, he saw Rias Gremory standing by the entrance onto the school campus. Her official graduation ceremony was coming soon so things distance was going to happen in their day-to-day lives from now on.

"Rias?" Issei looked at her with a quizzical, albeit, happy expression.

She turned to look at him and give him a bright smile that would've made his mind explode. She looked so radiant and warm that Issei wanted to jump in her arms. He hadn't spent too much time with her except for dinner and bedtime so he missed her quite a bit...okay he missed her a lot. He missed her presence, her scent, her touch, her warmth, and most of all...her oppai! The soft and tenderness of her bust simply made Issei desparate to be in her arms so that he could snuggle up to her well-endowed assets.

Realizing that his thoughts were going to leak into reality, Issei regained his composure and made a straight face. He slowly walked over to her, with Rias eyeing him gently as he approached.

Holding out his hand silently towards her, Rias happily skipped forward and took hold of his hand.

Issei was wondering about what caused such an unusual and carefree action but he put that thought aside.

"I was waiting, Issei." Rias smiled brightly at him as she let go of his hand and wrapped an arm around his elbow. She closed in and gave Issei a soft smooch on the cheek.

Issei blushed heavily in reaction as he saw how cute Rias could be. Normally she was elegant, proud, and outright beautiful but now, she was being cute.

"Were you waiting long?"

Rias slowly shook her head and snuggled onto Issei's shoulder. She giggled happily in relaxation as the two ventured home.

On the way, however, the atmosphere changed around halfway trough the trip.

Rias's eyes widened and immediately backed away from Issei in timidity. She looked away with a heavy blush and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Issei-kun. That was too...close for manners." She muttered out.

Issei's first thought was:

" _She's sooo cute!_ " He shouted in his mind as his consciousness took a hit from the sheer force of Rias's newfound shyness.

Issei merely shook his head.

"No no, it's fine." He dismissed her worries as the two resumed walking.

Issei, glanced down at his watch and it was activating again.

"I wonder what's going to happen now." Issei mused to himself as he tried to prepare himself for what might come.

* * *

A new effect of the Personality Ray, was that personality changes could switch from one type of personality to another. Thankfully, Azazel was working on finding a cure for the Personality Ray since it was taking too long for the effects to wear off.

Asia was still demanding. Koneko was still cuddling up to him. Xenovia confiscated all of his dirty material. Irina was flaunting her body at him and was saying very lewd things to him too. ( _ **I'll leave what she says up to you.**_ ) Ravel was on full-on workaholic mode. Rossweisse got clingy again. And finally, Akeno...she got clingy too and she got extremely possessive and sometimes violent whenever people interrupted her time with him. She even gives vicious glares to anyone that would try to hit on Issei.

Pushing these thoughts aside, the pair arrived home and walked in. Issei wasn't even inside the house for more than a very few amount of seconds until a wall smashed into him. It wasn't just any wall either. It was a bouncy and soft wall of boobs. They belonged to none other than...Akeno.

"Issei-kun, welcome home!" She pressed her chest into his face as Issei absorbed the sensation of her soft and bouncy bosom. Out of all of the girls he met, Akeno may have one of if not the largest breasts that he ever came across. Now all that's left or him to do is to poke them! ( _ **I'm kinda starting to understand how Issei felt when there's Oppai dragon gossip.**_ )

"I'm back." Issei tried to speak but his voice was muffled by Akeno's excited behavior.

She quickly took his hand and led him away from the door.

Rias raised her hand up to try and object but she didn't find the will to start a fight. Akeno was one of her best friends. She couldn't exactly raise her voice either. By all accounts...it was strange. Rias would've normally fought back against Akeno and arguments would've ensued. A blast of lightning there and a blast of destruction there, and voila, done, the fight would be over.

Now, Rias was timid, shy, yet still gentle and regal.

Graduation was nearing and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Issei before University kicked in and their time would lessen.

At dinner, Rias and Issei shot looks at one another and it was clear that each missed the other's touch. Silence enveloped the two and they were merely waiting for bedtime in order to spend some intimacy together.

In bed, Issei was surrounded by his lovers, but to his relief, Rias had chosen to sleep next to him instead of being in her own room. Still, Issei was a little disappointed that she was fully clothed in a pinkish-purple night gown. What happened to not being able to sleep unless nude?

Rias turned around in her sleep and faced Issei, who was still awake while everyone else was asleep.

"Issei." She muttered in her sleep as her hands reached out to find her desired partner. Grabbing hold of Issei's shirt, she pulled him closer to her as Issei gracefully took hold of her in his arms. Behind him, however, Akeno sensed that her beloved was gone and began to wander around the bed in a subconscious effort to find him.

Still, Issei was thinking about Rias.

' _I missed being close to her. For the past few months, I haven't been able to spend time with you ever since I got pre-occupied with the other girls. I'll make it up to you though. I promise._ ' Not being able to keep his eyes open any longer, Issei drifted into sleep.

* * *

Awaking the next morning, he found that Rias had disappeared from the bed. He sat up and looked around his magnificent bed and saw that everyone else was still sleeping soundly.

Having gotten enough rest, Issei moved out of bed and prepared himself for the day.

With breakfast over for the morning, Issei set about on planning for a date with Rias.

Rias was a japanophile so maybe a traditional japanese thing would work.

Having lined up his thoughts on where to go in what order, Issei decided to get himself ready and then he'd pop the question on Rias.

He found her sitting in her room, writing in a notebook.

He knocked on the door, which made Rias jump in shocked surprise. She quickly grabbed the book and threw it into a drawer.

She turned around and granted permission.

"Rias, are you busy Saturday?" Issei casually came in, although he had a slight blush spreading on his face.

Rias mere shook her head.

"Well, I was wondering i-if you wanted to go on a date with me?" Issei was met with bright enthusiasm.

Rias stood motionless for a few seconds and gave him an excited and happy reply.

"Of course!" She wanted to jump up in delight but she restrained herself. She didn't need to try and seduce him at every chance.

Issei was truly happy when she accepted with so much enthusiasm.

"Alright. We'll leave at 8 in the morning this Saturday, then." Issei gave her a kiss on the cheek as he left.

Originally, he would have never been so daring, but falling in love with 7 other women had made him bolder and more confident.

* * *

Within a blink of an eye, Saturday came and the two were dressed in casual clothes and were more than ready to head out.

Using a magic circle, the two transported themselves to the first destination on their list, Kiyomizu-dera.

Rias's eyes lit up when she saw the historic landmark. The Buddhist temple was a sight to behold for Rias. She loved japan and anything related to it.

They ventured inside and outside of it and saw the small waterfalls that was fed from the river outside.

Rias was excited to drink the water that was said to have therapeutic properties. The water was supposed to bless with longevity, good health, and success in studies.

Taking a metal cup and catching some water, Rias took a graceful sip and smiled in delight.

"How do you feel?" Issei was nervous about whether or not she liked the place that he had taken her to.

"Blessed." Rias had meant that in more than one way. She felt that being with Issei and having met him was a blessing to her and in her opinion, the effects of the water didn't mean that much.

* * *

Leaving Kiyomuza-Dera, they ventured around Kyoto and enjoyed each other's company as well as the sights.

Desiring something sweet, Issei and Rias stopped by a shop along the streets of Kyoto and enjoyed some Wagashi. ( _ **Japanese sweets that are made with plant ingedients, fruit, and mochi**_.)

They munhed on their snacks and looked around at the other tall attractions of Kyoto and they knew that they had visited all of them already. Far from done, Issei was already anxious about getting to their next destination.

"Issei...do you want to try this one?" Issei was brought out of his trance when Rias held up a piece of confectionary to him.

She looked timid, that alone told Issei that her personality change had come in.

Accepting her gift, Issei opened his mouth as Rias slowly put it in his mouth with a smiling blush.

"It tastes even better when its Rias feeding me." Issei bluntly spoke out, making Rias sputter in a frenzy.

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha- !" Issei calmed her down when he offered a piece of his Monaka ( _ **Crispy Japanase sweet that is crispy on the outside and has different fillings like ice cream or red-bean paste.**_ )

"How is it?" Issei managed to break her out of her stuttering but now she was silently chewing on the confection as she tried to get her words back.

"It's great, especially since Issei's feeding me." She decided to return the comment to see Issei's reaction.

She was disappointed when Issei merely chuckled and laughed. She pouted with puffy cheeks and a groan. She had really wanted to make him flustered.

Issei got up and took Rias's hand and slowly walked over to a more quiet place so that they could go to their next destination in Japan.

In a flash of light, their surroundings changed to reveal Himeji Castle. A historic and long-standing location of Japanese history. Enduring through times of war, Himeji Castle was a dazzling example of excellent Japanese Architect. Rias just couldn't withhold her excitement as her Japanophile side came into play.

She immediately grabbed Issei's hand impulsively and dragged him off to get a closer look at the castle. Being close to one of the most historic landmarks of her favorite country made her elated.

After exiting the large castle, Issei proceeded to take Rias around to several other different locations. He took her to see the Great Buddha of Kamakura and the Todaiji Temple. They spent a good amount of time just relaxing around different spots while enjoying each other's company.

For quite some time, unfortunately, Issei was paying attention to Rias's chest. Whenever she ran or bent forward, he could see them jumping and jiggling.

' _This date is well worth anything that comes at me!_ ' Issei courageously declared out to the world silently as the pair arrived at their second-to-last stop, Mount Fuji.

Rias and Issei marveled at the sight of Japan's largest volcano. It was intimidating yet, there was a strange connected feeling with it. Maybe it was because of Issei's descent and Rias's love for the country and it's locations that made them feel connected with the land.

"Rias, how did you feel about our date today?" Issei turned to her nervously.

He hadn't intended for the date to be just some simple tour or history lesson. He had originally intended for the date to be involved with something that Rias loved and so he came up with this idea.

* * *

They ventured around Japan to see famous and historical attractions. They visited different parks and shops, and even got to taste some delicacies while they were at it. In his book, that was an ok date, but he didn't know what Rias thought of it though.

Rias was blushing like crazy now that Issei brought up the topic of dating.

"U-u-um, well...mmm...I think that it was a great date." Rias shyly spoke, though she was barely audible.

Issei saw ho cute she was right now and decided that he'd tease her for a bit.

"How? I mean what made it great?" Issei played coy and smiled in anticipation to watch her blush even more.

"Well...you thought about how much I love Japan and you took me wherever I wanted and you always stayed right next to me. We also had fun too and I felt really happy. So I think this date was...really fun and nice." She had turned around to hide her blush as she tried to understand why she was getting flustered for no reason.

Issei smiled and rejoiced as he crept behind her. He slyly placed his arms around her waist and drew her to him. Their body heat transmitted between them as the winter cold disappeared and they were left in a comfortable embrace.

"It makes me happy that you had fun. I'm sorry that I haven't spent any time with you lately. Were you lonely?" Issei pulled her closer to him as he could feel some uneasiness in her.

Rias gently nodded her head as she returned back to normal for a moment.

"I know that you still want to be Harem King and I know that a lot of women will flock to you. I know I can't exactly always be number one in your heart so I understood that I had to share you with the other girls. I'm perfectly fine with being one of your lovers instead of the only lover." Rias turned around and flashed him a warm and happy smile.

She quickly pecked his lips and soon the two began to share a passionate display of love. They had finally released each other after a powerful desire for air came over them.

"I want you to know that I love all of you. I love everyone at home and you too, Rias-buchou." Issei cupped both sides of her face as he gave her another kiss.

Rias smiled at him brightly as she leaned forward to give him a kiss on one of his cheeks.

"I'll still be the legal wife though." She playfully smirked at him and jogged off to explore the region around Mount Fuji.

Issei looked at the time and it was around 4:00 pm so there was still some time left to do the very last thing on Issei's list.

"Rias! It's time to go." Issei called out to her as he quickly walked over to her. In truth, he was excited about where it was that he was going to take her.

"Issei, where are we going?" She looked at him with a strong blush. He made it sound like Mount Fuji was their last stop before heading home.

"It's a secret." Issei took hold of her hand as they magically transported themselves to a different scenery.

* * *

Rias was amazed to see a forest of cherry blossoms while standing on a grassy hill that had a large tree overlooking the forest under the hill. The petals of the numerous trees were already falling everywhere as if it were spring. Strangely, Cherry Blossom trees shouldn't even be blooming and yet, here it was happening. The environment hadn't been bothered by Winter either. There was no snow and the climate was like Spring.

"Issei, what is this place?" Rias had traveled to many places but she had never been to such a place like this before.

"Azazel-sensei told me a story about a place in the Human World, where there's a forest that only has Spring occur instead of Winter, Summer, and Fall. So, I spent a few weeks trying to find this place. I heard that this place embodied one of the most loved Japanese sights. The Cherry Blossom Trees." Issei felt like he had just harvested a great fruit from his labors.

Rias was touched that he had spent so much time trying to make her happy. She had seen him look over maps in his room when he was alone and he was constantly doing research online, mostly pertaining to supernatural locations. She evn heard him talking to Grayfia about looking for some Cherry Blossom trees.

Rias pulled Issei into a tight embrace and snuggled up to him. His chest had gotten broad and muscled ever since she first met him. She felt so warm and protected that she ould just let everything go and spend the now with him.

"Issei, thank you so much for working so hard for me. I love you." Rias looked up and gave Issei a nice long and passionate kiss with her boyfriend. Sharing such a tender moment made both of their hearts run at storming power. They embraed each other tightly as they savored their long awaited time together.

Suddenly, a soft step could be heard. The couple broke apart and looked at the source of the sound and saw a once in a life-time sight. A three horned shining white creature with four legs and a horse-like neck and tail had appeared. A kirin was standing a few feet away from them. It had appeared from nowhere and regarded and bowed to them with acknowledgement and then walked away slowly.

Rias and Issei merely smiled at each other as they knew that seeing and being close to a kirin meant good fortune.

Issei saw the sun going down and decided that it was time to eat.

Issei summoned a magic circle and brought out a soft picnic blanket and laid it down on the soft grassy earth.

"Well, it's getting late so how about we eat?"

Rias was wondering about what he meant when she didn't see any food lying around except for fruits and vegetables.

Issei used a piece of paper that had a magic circle engraved onto it and focused a little bit of demonic energy to summon a large array of different japanese dishes. There was soba, onigiri, curry rice, yakisoba, chazuke, sushi, and other types of dishes.

"Issei, where'd you get all of this?" Rias was amazed by the mass of delectable dishes that he had brought forth.

"Well, I cooked a few dishes after I asked my mom to teach me and then I had some help with learning how to cook from Asia and Akeno-san. I hope it doesn't taste bad though." Issei was nervous since cooking wasn't his forte.

Rias had suddenly started to feel bashful, yet happy.

"Y-you didn't have to go through all of this trouble." She stuttered as she could barely withhold how happy she was.

Issei gestured for her to sit next to him as he patted a spot next to him. His watch activated and it indicated that Rias was behaving differently so this was a chance to mess with Rias.

She awkwardly walked toward him and gingerly sat down next to him.

Issei picked up a piece of fried fish and held it up to Rias.

She closed her eyes and was about to eat it until she bit down and felt nothing.

She opened her eyes and saw Issei snake his chopsticks away and stick the fish in his mouth.

"Wha-!" She cried indignantly as she pouted. Here she was, expecting to be fed and all of a sudden, her boyfriend refused to feed her.

"Hmm! Stupid Issei!" She huffed as she refused to eat anything. She was hungry but she wanted Issei to beg for her apology first.

Issei held up a spiced meatball up to her but she turned away.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Will you forgive me?" Issei wasn't expecting such a quick apology to work and he was right.

Rias regarded him for a moment and her willpower would've crumbled but she willed herself to remain stubborn.

Issei wondered if she was really angry with him but he knew that she was merely messing with him.

"Alright, fine. I guess I'll eat all of this delicious Japanese food by myself." Issei smiled slyly as he was about to eat the meatball caught by his chopsticks.

Before he got the chance, however, Rias dove forward and ate it before he could complete the deed.

Issei broke out into a laugh when he made her drop her act.

"Stupid Issei. You've been really cheeky lately." Rias pouted as she clung onto him.

Without further delay, the dug right into the food.

When the main part of dinner was over, Rias saw her chance to make Issei flustered.

She crept closer to his face as she noticed a little bit of sauce close to his lips.

"Buchou?" Issei thought she was going in for a kiss but she did something that he did not expect.

She put her lips on said area and licked it clean in a very seductive manner. Issei could feel her tongue roaming his lips and cheek as he could only sit there and take it.

Issei felt his consciousness fly away at the suggestive action.

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-!" Issei's face turned as red as his Boosted Gear as he tried to regain and form his composure.

"Teehee. Got you." She smiled mischeviously with a strong blush.

Issei stammered for a few more minutes, flabbergasted while Rias turned around.

She held her hands up to her cheeks as she made a cute embarassed reaction to what she just did.

' _Why did I do that?! What's wrong with me?! A proper woman shouldn't be doing something like this!_ ' Rias managed to calm herself down in due time as Issei brought out dessert.

"Here you go." Issei gently handed her a bowl of cream anmitsu. ( _ **Japanese dessert of a bowl of agar jelly, white jelly, fruit, red bean paste, boiled peas, and ice cream.**_ )

Rias gingerly took hold of the dessert and ate while staring at the starry night sky. The moon was full tonight and it gave a magic glow to the landscape.

"Rias, if I become independant one day, will we still be able to be like this?"

Rias looked at him in surprise since they knew he would do that but they had never reall talked about it much if at all.

Rias sighed and gave her answer.

"I don't know, Issei. In all honesty, I don't want to lose this but I want you to accomplish your dreams too. I think that if we try our best, we'll always be able to be like this. You leaving my peerage doesn't mean you'll leave my life and vice versa." Rias caressed Issei's face as he gently held it to his cheek.

' _She's right. Looks like I was making a big deal out of nothing._ ' Issei threw away is unnecessary worries and continued to spend time with her.

"I love you, Rias."

"I love you, Issei."

The two shared a passionate kiss as they solidified their vow to always do their best to beat time and fate in order to remain together.

* * *

As the night grew even later, at 10:00 pm, the two jumped though a magic circle and returned home.

The two came home refreshed, happy, and closer than ever. Still, Issei had remembering catching an odd sight before he and Rias left the Spring Forest. He remembered seeing a white feather on the ground before leaving. Issei wondered if there had been another supernatural creature besides a kirin there.

Deciding that it was pointless to worry about something he didn't know enough about, he decided to get to bed since he was probably going to have full day with the others tomorrow.

Snuggling into his bed with Rias and Akeno next to him on both sides, Issei fell into a relaxing and happy sleep.

Outside in the sky, however, was a twelve-winged angel, staring at the Hyoudou Residence or more specifically, Issei.

She had curly blonde hair and a very voluptuous figure. In her eyes, was confliction, confusion, and longing.

"Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei. Why does looking at you make my heartbeat so quick?" Gabriel began to wonder why she had started to think of nothing but him ever since he helped protect Heaven and why her heart ached when she watched him with other women.

Her answer was to arrive soon...in time, anyways.

* * *

 _ **I know it's been a few weeks since I uploaded anything but I decided to give myself a break. I had school and life to take care of so sorry for the delay. Anyways, what do you guys think of the story so far? Satisfying? I have to think about what to do with Gabriel since I've used up most of my choices about how to approach someone in the harem. Anyways, reply and leave a review and I'll make sure to read it.**_


	11. Chapter 10: Strengthening Light Part 1

_**I was looking forward to writing this chapter for a long time and when I had gotten to it, I just realized that I used all of my bullets. Still, I had one extra bullet left. It was kinda crazy with what I did but I did what I could with the choices I had left. Also, just something to think about, the title of the story is a bit ambiguous in meaning so I was just wondering what you all think of its meaning and the effects on the story. That said, enjoy the story, I hope it lives up to the other chapters. I change what I said for the previous chapter and this one might be the hardest for me to write since Gabriel doesn't have much material for me to write with. Seriously, I want more official Gabriel appearances and an illustration too. Oh and I couldn't help but create a chapter of this length. I was really looking forward to writing this chapter.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Strengthening Light Part 1**

Winter temperatures had passed and it was starting to feel like Spring again. There was the occasional wind chill but other than that, temperatures were rather warm now.

Issei walked to school, yawning, as he tried to wake himself up from his exhaustion. Thr previous night, Rias and Akeno decided to use him for a body pillow an almost killed him. Their enormous chests had nearly killed him as he couldn't breath from their density and size. He still loved it though. The softness, the sweet smell, the smooth texture, Issei loved every waking moment of suffocation by breasts.

Suddenly, he passed by a women wearing a white coat, light-blue shirt, white pants, and black boots. Issei turned to look around and found that the woman was gone.

' _Who was that? She looked familiar. Must've been my imagination_.' Issei dismissed the incident as he continued his walk to school.

A few feet away, Gabriel had hidden behind a corner. She was watching Issei leave and was clutching her chest where her heart was.

' _My heart...it won't stop beating. Why? I don't even know Hyoudou Issei-kun that well._ ' Gabriel's face grew hot when she wondered about what kind of things humans did when they had this feeling.

Was this hot rapid heartbeat and constant thinking of someone love? She hadn't asked any of the Angels ever since they were free to love as they pleased. It was actually a new concept to all of the Angels since they had to live with restraint all their lives.

' _Gabriel made the decision to visit the Hyoudou Residence to talk with Irina when she got home. Perhaps the Ace of Spades knew the answer?_ ' Gabriel decided that she would explore around the Human World while she waited. Griselda was supposed to meet up with her soon anyways. They were supposed to meet up in the shopping district of Kuoh.

* * *

About several minutes later, Griselda showed up to guide Gabriel around the Human World. Previously being a human, Griselda knew how to behave in a knowing manner. Even long in the past, Gabriel was never in the Human World very often.

Griselda showed up, wearing more casual clothes than her nun outfit. She had her hair loose and was wearing a dark green coat with a purple shirt and black pants with brown leather boots. ( _ **Taking excessive liberties here.**_ )

"Gabriel-sama, have you waited long?" She politely inquired on Gabriel's experiences. She couldn't help saying it, but Gabriel was a bit naive sometimes. She noticed the way Hyoudou Issei looked at Gabriel with lecherous eyes and knew that men who were even worse than him, existed in this world. Not that she disliked Issei though. She just thought that he needed self-restraint.

"No, I've only been here for a little bit." Gabriel gave Griselda her normal brilliant smile and proceeded to walk around the shopping district with Griselda pointing out where to get a certain item and introducing her to material objects.

While Gabriel was indeed fascinated by the countless things in the Human World, her mind was still wondering about Issei and how just thinking of him and looking at him made her heartbeat flutter.

"Gabriel-sama. Gabriel-sama." Griselda repeated calling her name until Gabriel snapped out of her thoughts.

"What?" Gabriel looked at Griselda blankly.

Griselda sighed a little. She knew the symptoms that Gabriel was having all too well.

"Gabriel-sama. I must speak with you in private about a serious matter."

Gabriel made an agreeing nod as Griselda led her to a bench in a park.

Sitting her down, Griselda looked at Gabriel to begin interrogating her.

"Gabriel-sama, what has been occurring with you lately?"

Gabriel looked down as she tried to sort her thoughts.

"I don't know. I've been so distracted lately." She clutched her hand over her heart as Issei came to mind.

"Lately, whenever we're at a meeting, you space out and other times, you are so distracted that you cause a clumsy accident. One time you accidentally burned the food you were making in Heaven. Normally, you don't do that." Griselda kinda grilled her on that part.

Gabriel was silent for quite a while since she felt too embarrassed to speak her mind about why she was spacing out so much.

' _I wonder why?_ ' Gabriel thought to herself.

Griselda took a long hard look at Gabriel until they heard a familiar voice.

They both turned around to see Issei walking back home. The Church Trio wasn't with him since they had club activities and other jobs to do.

"Ah." Gabriel exclaimed to herself as she immediately got up to go see him.

As soon as she got up the hill that separated the two, she broke into a run and she didn't exactly notice it but she was smiling brightly the whole time. Griselda saw her reaction to him passing by and immediately knew what was going. Gabriel was in love.

"Issei-san!" Gabriel called out with a bright wave as she got closer to him.

Issei looked behind him to see someone approaching him. He was shocked to see one of the Four Great Seraphs rushing toward him.

Even from a far distance, Issei could see her magnificent figure and most of all, he could see her bouncing bust.

' _BOOBS FROM HEAVEN!_ ' Issei screamed in his head as his eyes plastered themselves to the approaching Angel.

"G-Gabriel-san!" Issei returned the wave awkwardly. He hoped that she hadn't caught on to what he had done before. He had tried to use Dress Break on her once but Koneko made sure to stop him. He also used the Boosted Gear to take a look at her chest through her clothes.

Gabriel came to a stop in front of him and gave him a warm and heart-melting smile.

"W-what brings you here?" Issei assumed formal speech and behavior in the presence of such a beautiful and famous person.

"I wanted to visit the Human World and I wished to talk with Irina. Do you know where she might be right now?" Gabriel couldn't stop a powerful blush from spreading across her face, thankfully, Issei didn't notice.

"Well, she's at school right now, so she won't return home until a little bit later." Issei replied to her, making Gabriel feel a little disappointed that she would miss the chance to get Irina to explain to her about what it was that she herself was feeling at the moment.

As soon as she had seen Issei, Gabriel felt her heart kick up into speed and her face was hot the whole time she was with him.

"I see. I'll come and visit some other time then." Gabriel turned around and wore a smile but deep down, she was disappointed that she couldn't spend time with Issei for the day.

It didn't seem like it but she was pretty down. Issei sensed that too so he chose to make a suggestion. He wasn't sure what Gabriel was sad about but he guessed that it had to do with Irina.

"Um, Gabriel-san!" Said woman immediately turned around in an anxious manner.

"If you don't mind, would you like to wait at my home until Irina comes back?" Issei couldn't resist wanting to help her with her issues since she looked so sad not too long ago.

"Of course! I'd be honored!" Gabriel blurted her words out before thinking. She froze in surprise from herself and the instant reply she had given him.

Issei was caught off-guard a bit from her reaction but happily guided her to his home.

' _My house isn't that fun, is it? Oh wait... ah geez, I forgot to think about what would happen if Rias and Akeno will do if they see her. Everyone will probably misunderstand._ ' Issei scratched his head as he just thought about the consequences of his actions.

* * *

After a short while, Issei, Gabriel, and Griselda had arrived at Issei's house, er...rather mansion, and entered.

Issei opened the door for the women and Gabriel was met by a wall of bosoms.

"Guhh!" Her voice was muffled as Rossweisse and Akeno crashed into Gabriel, sending the three of them to the ground.

"Issei! Welcome home!" The duo said before taking a good look at who it was that they had tackled to the ground.

They looked down and paled in horror at who it was that they had just pinned under themselves.

"G-Gabriel-sama!" They exclaimed in unison as they helped her up and apologized at light-speed.

"We-we're very sorry for such a rude action!" They bowed their heads hastily but Gabriel just dismissed their worries with a wave of her hand.

"N-no it's fine. You shouldn't worry about such an accident." She sheepishly chuckled. Oddly, Griselda noticed that Gabriel's eyebrow twitched when she heard them call Issei so livingly.

"I-I'm sorry, Gabriel-san. It's my fault that you got tackled." Issei bowed in shameful apology at such a blunder.

"No, it's fine, really. I was just a little surprised."

With that comment, the whole situation calmed down, although Griselda herself, was surprised by the actions of the normally polite and well-mannered women of the Rias Gremory's peerage.

' _I didn't know that the Sekiryuutei came home to such a greeting. My my, I wonder how Gabriel-sama will handle this.'_ Griselda hoped that Gabriel would never reach a violent point. She could do some very serious damage to everyone here since they were mostly Devils.

Sitting Gabriel down in the Living Room, Akeno and Rossweisse prepared tea and cookies, much to the gratitude of the two Angels.

"What brings you to our humble home?" Akeno asked respectfully.

Gabriel obliged but deep down, she felt a little jealous. Issei was living with so many beautiful women.

"I had wished to talk with Irina about something." Gabriel replied in the same polite tone.

"I believe Irina should be home in a few minutes. Please make yourselves at home." Akeno bowed along with Rossweisse as they set about to prepare dinner, leaving Gabriel, Griselda, and Issei alone in the Living Room.

* * *

There was nothing but awkward silence between the three, although in their minds, they were each thinking different things.

' _I hope that nothing dangerous happens._ ' Griselda calmly sipped her tea as she looked between Gabriel and Issei.

' _I wonder if I stay around Issei-san, will this hot feeling in heart go away?_ ' Gabriel stared at Issei with confused, yet infatuated eyes.

' _Irina, hurry up and come home. I don't think Griselda-san and Gabriel-san are happy right now. Gabriel-san is staring right at me!_ ' Issei was silently panicking. No doubt, getting glomped by two beautiful women to the floor must've caused a bad impression.

Salvation soon came as Irina came home.

She walked into the Living Room and was surprised to see Gabriel and Griselda.

"Gabriel-sama!? Boss!?" Irina exclaimed before covering her mouth from her surprised outburst.

' _Don't tell me...these two are here to try and get with Issei-kun?!_ ' Irina thought suspiciously to herself.

Griselda sent a reproachful glare at Irina.

"Irina, I will have you know that I have no such intentions." She smiled darkly at Irina, who shrunk away.

"Yes, I understand." She muttered.

As Irina sat next to Issei, Gabriel felt a little more jealous. She saw that Irina got close...too close.

' _They get to be this close to Issei-kun?_ ' Gabriel was alarmed at how much Irina had changed recently. She had gotten more daring.

"So, what brings the both of you here?" Irina asked a question that completely made Gabriel lose composure.

She couldn't exactly ask her question out in the open so she had to speak with Irina privately.

"Um, Irina-san. I believe that we need to talk privately." She sheepishly stated as Irina merely nodded and led her up to her room.

* * *

It was a neat and clean room that had white dressers, bed sheets, pillows, a desk, drawers, and a closet. Placed around the room where several things, however, most of which were cherished by Irina like a picture of her family and her picture with Issei.

"Gabriel-sama, is something wrong?" Irina asked a question that Gabriel had been thinking about a lot.

They both took a seat on Irina's bed as Gabriel began talking.

"I don't know. For the past few weeks, my head feels fuzzy, my heart won't stop beating, and my face always feels hot and red whenever I think of a certain person. Irina-san, can you tell what it is I'm feeling?" Gabriel desperately asked her junior Angel for answers.

Irina's jaw dropped.

' _Gabriel is in love!_ ' Irina screamed in her head.

Gabriel made a quizzical look when she noticed Irina's expression.

"Is this bad?" Now she was nervous since Irina looked so shocked.

Irina closed her jaw and shook her head to reassure her senior Angel.

"No, it's actually a great thing. Gabriel-sama, you are in love!" Irina excitedly exclaimed.

"Eh?" Gabriel made a small surprised sound when Irina told her that.

Irina restated her words again to get the message across.

"You. Are. In. Love. With. Someone." She said slowly as realization dawned on Gabriel.

Immediately, her misunderstanding of the concept came into effect.

"Well, yes, I do love. I do love all of my family and friends. I love you too, Irina-san. I love everyone dear to my heart very much." Gabriel stated in a rather convincing matter.

Still, a small part of her mind was lingering on Issei when she said that.

Irina sighed when she knew that Gabriel didn't quite understand what it was that she was trying to say.

"Gabriel-sama, the kind of love that you are talking about is completely different from the love that I'm saying that you have."

Gabriel was puzzled, to say the least.

"I don't understand. I thought love was caring about someone?"

Irina nodded but she had to get the point across.

"That is love but it's not being _in_ love. Romantic love is when you think of someone constantly and you want to be with them as much as possible. You want to make them happy and you want to feel happy with them. You want to do things with a special person and being close with them makes your heart beat really fast nonstop and you feel hot when you think about them. That's romantic love." Irina hoped to awaken realization in Gabriel with her speech, which seemed to work...to an extent.

"And when you are romantically in love with someone...how do you know who it is?" She blankly asked.

"Easy. Close your eyes and think about the person that makes you feel very happy and makes you want to stay with them for as long as possible." Irina gestured for Gabriel to go on and do it.

Doing as suggested, Gabriel closed her eyes and felt a name and a certain person come to mind.

"Hyoudou...Issei." She mumbled.

Irina didn't hear what she said so she asked Gabriel to repeat what it was that she had muttered.

"What was that, Gabriel-sama?" Irina felt a premonition, or actually, an omen in her chest.

"Oh, I was just wondering, do you feel this way about, Issei-san?" Gabriel had to deal with that question first.

Irina felt a strong blush creep across her face but replied.

"Yes."

Gabriel felt something shatter a bit in her smile.

"What about the other women in this house? I noticed that Himejima-san and Rossweisse-san were quite enthusiastic about him coming home." Gabriel was afraid of the coming answer.

"Issei has...many women who love him romantically." Irina wasn't sure how Gabriel would take it.

Gabriel was shocked even further after the sudden revelation.

"E- Eh!" She screamed in reaction as Irina put a finger over her own mouth to tell to be silent.

Irina couldn't help but nod.

Gabriel's usual smile had cracked a little.

"Well, there are about 2 other women in this house who don't exactly have romantic feelings for him though." Irina thought of the two as she tried to determine their thoughts on the Sekiryuutei.

"Who are they?" Gabriel absolutely needed to know.

"Umm, they're Kuroka and Le fay Pendragon of Team DxD." Irina wasn't really uncomfortable about talking about them new since they were acquited of crimes.

"Anyways, Gabriel-sama, did you see someone in your mind?" Irina was trying to see if she could push Gabriel along a bit.

Gabriel looked at her but turned away.

"I don't know...I feel so lost. I don't know what somebody does when they are in love." Gabriel was at a dilemma. Now, she knew that 8 other women had feelings for Issei. She didn't know how they're relationships were working out but she didn't want to complicate it.

"Then, when you and the person you love reciprocate, what happens?" Gabriel asked shyly. She had heard several of the other Angels talking about such things and some had even started dating. Some even got married right off the bat.

Irina was caught off-guard a bit.

"W-Well, when you and your partner reciprocate, you grow closer and obtain the status of lovers or in present time, boyfriend and girlfriend."

Gabriel nodded, urging Irina to continue.

"After becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, you get to know each other better. After a certain amount of time, if you love each other enough and truly want to, you get engaged."

Gabriel felt a hot blush creep across her face. Even she knew what that was. Believers in the religion of her people did that all the time.

"Then, when you agree to marry, you proceed to actual marriage and then…you could solidify your bond and perhaps start a family." Irina decided not to twist words and to say it straight at the last moment.

"Huh?" Gabriel wasn't exactly understanding the way Irina was wording things.

Irina leaned forward towards Gabriel's and the response was expected of a maiden.

Whatever Irina said to her made Gabriel's head steam.

"Wha-wha-wha-wha!" She stuttered as it dawned on her what kind of act that people on Earth did. Irina had actually made it sound more shameless actually.

"I think I'll leave now. Thank you for the talk, Irina-san. I appreciate it very much." Gabriel got up to leave, with Irina following her down.

' _Michael-sama, please help Gabriel-sama find her way_.' Irina silently prayed to Michael for help.

* * *

Gabriel walked downstairs to Griselda, who stood up with Gabriel to leave.

"Are you leaving already? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Issei stood up in reaction.

"No, it's fine. We've overstayed our welcome. We won't intrude any longer." Gabriel declined politely, but in her heart, she wanted to stay with Issei. She just didn't realize it yet.

"It's no trouble at all. You're welcome to stay for dinner."

Griselda looked back and forth between Issei and Gabriel and noticed how strongly Gabriel was blushing. She was also curling and fiddling with her hair. A sign of nervousness.

"Well, I did promise to show Gabriel-sama around Kuoh but it seems that I must go on urgent business now. Perhaps you could show her around, Hyoudou Issei-san? This is your home town after all." Griselda smiled at Issei, while indirectly imploring for Issei to do it.

Isse happily and naively nodded with a smile.

"I would be happy to do so."

"Excellent. However, Gabriel-sama will be swamped by work while in Heaven so I will go ahead and return to take up the slack. So Gabriel-sama will have to stay. Is that too much trouble?" Griselda was praying to Michael for her plan to work.

Issei shook his head.

"Of course not! We'd be happy to have you stay for the weekend." Issei replied without a moment's hesitation.

A small cracking could be heard from the kitchen as Akeno had snapped the spatula in her hand with extreme brute force. Rossweisse wasn't even minding the extra company. It was Akeno that was the potential problem.

"Well then, please excuse us." Griselda chuckled a little.

Just according to keikau...wait no. Just according to plan.

In truth, Griselda had actually gotten a text Irina before Gabriel came downstairs.

' _It looks like Gabriel-sama is in love. Think you can help her, Boss? Please?! I'll owe you a favor._ ' Irina sounded pretty desparate in her text.

* * *

After everyone had gathered for dinner, while Asia, Xenovia, Koneko, Ravel, and Rias were astounded by the sudden visit of the Angelic King and Queen, they warmly welcomed the two.

Rias also approved of Gabriel staying for the weekends.

"Well, please excuse us. I must return to Heaven and Gabriel needs to pack things for the night."

On that note, the pair left.

As they arrived in Heaven, Griselda stopped Gabriel as they entered a quiet area.

"Well, I must leave you now, Gabriel-sama. Please make sure to pack properly before returning to the Hyoudou Residence." Griselda bowed and left, leaving Gabriel alone.

Soon enough, Gabriel returned to the Hyoudou Mansion and was given a guest room. It was nice, really. A nice light-brown painted room with several lamps, a king-sized bed with a canopy and comfortable sheets and blankets. There was even a 60-inch flat screen TV.

"Gabriel-san, I hope that you'll be comfortable during your stay here. Please let any of us know if there's something you need." Issei warmly informed her as she bowed graciously.

"No, thank you for helping me." She gave Issei a shining smile that Issei was sure to hurt a Devil if they looked at her.

"My room is 4 doors left of the hall if you need something." On that note, Issei bowed in respect and left.

Gabriel politely bowed as Issei walked away.

As soon as she closed the door, Gabriel blushed like fire as she cupped her cheeks in flustered happiness.

'Kya! Staying in the same house as Issei-kun! I feel so happy!' This sudden change in character was obviously amiss.

* * *

 **AN HOUR BEFORE GABRIEL RETURNED TO THE MANSION**

After Gabriel finished packing, she had passed by the Science Division and remembered that she left something dear to her there.

Venturing there, she managed to get her possession but much to her surprise, she noticed a glow in the white room that was filled with monitors, scientific gadgets, and inventions. She turned around and saw a strange ray gun. (PREPARE YOURSELVES!)

As she passed by it, it gave off a rainbow-colored light and fired a ray right at Gabriel.

"What!?" She yelped as it hit her before she could do anything.

It seemed like she blacked out but in truth, it was as if nothing had happened to her. She remained standing and after the ray hit her, the ray gun deactivated and even broke with smoke and sparks tracing from it. She remembered being told that there were several inventions kept in Research and many weren't ready for use or display and too many to count were abandoned.

As Gabriel's vision and mind cleared, she remembered what she was doing and was excited to get back to Issei's home.

In an instant, she rushed back and awaited outside of the residence since it would be rude to just appear inside the Hyoudou home.

* * *

And that explained her sudden change in behavior.

Gabriel was now rolling around in her bed, excited to be in the same place as Issei.

She fell asleep in great anticipation of the day that was to come tomorrow. She hoped that she could finally determine why she had fallen for Issei.

* * *

The next morning, she awoke bright, early, and happy as she changed into appropriate clothing. Showering and walking downstairs from her room, she saw that she had come down at the same time as everyone else in the house did.

As soon as she opened the door, Issei had passed by her door. He regarded her kindly as she blushed bright red within that instant.

"Good morning, Gabriel-san." Issei used a soft tone with her, knocking her off her feet.

' _He-he's so charming!_ ' Gabriel barely managed to stay upright but returned his warm greeting.

"G-good morning! If I may ask, what did you plan to do today?"

"Well, I was going to show you around Kuoh and anywhere else if you wanted."

Gabriel, having returned to normal, put thought into it but decided that exploring Kuoh was more than enough a day's worth of time.

"Alright, it sounds lovely." She flashed Issei a radiant smile and walked away.

When they finished breakfast, Issei and Gabriel departed, though Issei made it clear to everyone to not follow them. Issei was afraid that their personality changes would kick in and complicate the situations that could occur.

Issei showed Gabriel how to take the trains and subway to move around.

She had seen the Human World's development in their years of existence so she was familiar with their technology but she had never directly interacted with it.

"Who's that?"

"A foreigner?"

"She's so hot. Her jugs are giant too! I'm jealous."

"I'd give anything to be in that guy's place."

"I'd tap that."

As they rode the subway, countless people, specifically men, were staring at her and ogling her until Issei sent death glares in all directions. He was in charge of showing Gabriel around and he didn't want her having a nasty time.

* * *

They explored around several shops like clothing stores, grocery stores, markets, tech centers, and entertainment stores. He also took her to several attractions of Kuoh like the Amusement Park, the theaters, and the parks.

When they passed the arcade, however, Gabriel was interested by the numerous bright screens inside the building.

"What is this place?" Gabriel looked around from the outside until Issei guided her in.

"Why don't we stop here? It's a fun little place called an arcade. It's full of games and activities that you can do to pass the time. You need to use human money though."

Issei pointed out several different games for her to try and she seemed quite adept at whatever game she played. She was especially good at the singing and dancing game, **Idol Debut**. It was like Just Dance Kinect with karaoke.

When Issei watched her from afar though, he saw her fun-loving and carefree smile.

His heart skipped several beats and when his heart started to work again, it was beating faster than lightning. His face grew hot and he felt his stomach lurching around in nervousness.

' _What's going on with me? Shit._ ' Issei wasn't understanding what was going on with him.

When Gabriel was done, Issei clapped and congratulated her.

"You were incredible, Gabriel-san. You looked really beautiful too!"

Gabriel blushed and her consciousness flew off.

' _He-he thought I was beautiful! When he was watching me, I managed to do my best and now he's praising me!'_

"I-it's not like I wanted your praise, okay! I only did this for fun. Hmph." She turned around with a contradicting blush.

Issei was flabbergasted.

"Wai- What!" Issei was confused. One moment she was polite, then fun-loving, then sweet, now she's acting in denial!?

"It's almost as if she's acting like-!" Issei gasped and paled as he realized what was going on.

"No…no…nononono." Issei looked at his watch and one of the clock hands was glowing green and it was pointing right Gabriel.

' _That's it! I'm punching Sensei in the gut!_ ' Issei was now back in tsundere Hell.

* * *

They walked home and the whole time, Gabriel was acting high and mighty.

"Hyoudou, I'm thirsty." She demanded a drink as she pointed at a bubble tea stand.

Issei sighed as he went to go get her one.

She silently sipped on it as she continued walking ahead of him. She turned around and even gave him a mean notice.

"Stay 3 feet away from me. I don't want you using your perverted techniques on me. I also saw how you ogled me in Heaven. Irina also told me your intentions at the sports festival, too. Dress Break." Gabriel crushed the empty bubble tea bottle in her hand and threw it away into a street trash can.

After she did that though, she started blushing.

' _No, wait, let me guess. You'll say something contradictory!_ ' Issei playfully guessed in his mind. He noticed that he was getting a bit wittier or maybe snarky during the past few days.

"But still…you bought me bubble tea and showed me around so I'll let you off the hook this time.

She huffed and continued walking home.

' _This is gonna be a long evening._ ' Issei sighed in exasperation as he feared the misunderstandings that she would create.

' _ **Hang in there, Partner. I'll still be here to help. My advice for this is to just deal with the punishment that she gives out.**_ ' Draig once again gave sagely advice to Issei, who took it gratefully.

* * *

Issei had arrived home 15 minutes after Gabriel did since she forced him to carry her bags about 75% through their return to Issei's home.

When he got home, all of the women were waiting for him. Gabriel was already sitting at the Dining Table with everyone else.

"Welcome back, Issei. Go ahead and put your things away and change. We'll wait for you." Rias smiled sweetly at him, as Issei let to do just that.

Issei came back downstairs and dug into dinner with everyone else.

The whole time, however, Gabriel was sending stares his way.

Whenever he looked at her though, she turned away.

' _I know Sensei's inventions have something to do with this._ ' Issei deduced.

Right after dinner was over, Issei had gone to his room to watch TV. Apparently, Gabriel felt uncomfortable about Issei being too close to her.

"Your perverted eyes will try to undress me." She had said to him.

Everyone else was flabbergasted by her words. Nobody dared get offensive though. That was not enough to re-spark the Great War.

Still, Issei suspected that Azazel must have had another Personality Ray somewhere. It must have been in Heaven since Gabriel only showed signs of new behavior after she returned from Heaven.

* * *

Suddenly, a knock came at his door. Ever since the start of the Personality Ray fiasco, Issei had a peep hole installed in case yandere Akeno or tsundere Asia came knocking.

He looked out and saw Gabriel. Deciding that he couldn't ignore a Seraph, he opened the door.

"Let me in." She said as she passed by Issei with a rude huff.

She sat on his bed as she started flicking through his TV channels.

"Um…Gabriel-san, what are you doing?" Issei was making sure not to anger her. While light didn't severely injure him like when he had a Devil body, it still hurt.

"Rias-san told me that your TV had more movies and channels on it." She curtly responded.

After finding a channel she liked, Gabriel ordered for Issei to get her snacks and even made him massage.

She sighed in content as Issei massaged her back. Every time he down at her though, he noticed her breasts.

' _The finest in Heaven. I wanna give them a squeeze._ ' Issei could feel his worldly desires increasing but managed to suppress it before Gabriel sensed it.

When Issei was done, Gabriel got off his bed and rose up to leave. Before she left though, she turned around quickly, catching Issei off-guard.

"Hey, Sekiryuutei, close your eyes." She asked sternly.

Expecting something nasty, Issei braced himself.

What he got, however, was a satisfying peck on the cheek.

"You did a lot for me today so that was your reward." She whipped around and left.

As Issei's eyes shot open, he saw a madly blushing Gabriel running out of the room to her own.

Issei was shocked a lot! When he realized what she did, his heart went pitter patter. This time, he felt butterflies in his stomach and he was dazed. Shaking off the idea that the kiss had much meaning from her end, Issei decided to calm his heart with sleep.

Things were going to get hectic for him soon.

* * *

 _ **And that wraps Part 1 of Gabriel's chapter. Some of you might be wondering about why Gabriel has such a long chapter so allow me to explain my intentions. So seeing as how Gabriel doesn't have much resource to go on, to me anyways, I planned something special for her and plus, I had much more freedom to write what I wanted concerning her part in this story since she doesn't have many appearances. I also really really wanted to write a fic with Issei x Gabriel but I wrote this story first. I'm quite a fan of Gabriel too so…anyways, stay tuned for Part 2.**_


	12. Chapter 10: Strengthening Light Part 2

_**And so the fiasco continues. Here's Part 2. Oh and warning… FOUL LANGUAGE AND SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.**_

 **Chapter 10: Strengthening Light Part 2**

* * *

Issei awoke the next morning to see Gabriel sleeping with him in his bed. Seeing as how a highly-respected and worshipped Seraph was sleeping inside their home, the other girls decided that they shouldn't be doing embarrassing things in her presence. This just left Gabriel to do as she wanted.

The previous night, she had come to quite a realization.

Right after giving Issei a good night kiss on the cheek as gratitude, she had run off to her room. Immediately shutting the door behind her, she cupped both sides of her face in embarrassment and crashed onto her bed.

"Why did I do that?! How could I give that Sekiryuutei a kiss on the cheek?! That perverted guy who has the perfect smile and kind heart! How?!" She shouted at the action she had just taken but then she recalled something.

She remembered what Irina talked and connected the dots of what she did with what Irina said.

It now made sense to her.

"I love Issei-kun." Those four words calmed down her questioning frenzy and replaced it with an aching desire to be with him. When she thought about how kind he was and how hard he fought for others, she had fallen even harder for him. Now that she thought clearly, she started having these feelings for him when she first saw his powerful determination and kindness.

A smiled crept across her lips as she now found the answer to her question.

She fell asleep, now content with finding the answer to her question. Now, she looked forward to getting closer to him.

* * *

With that said, Issei decided that he'd sneak out of bed before she woke up to avoid awkward conversation.

It seemed, however, that fate was not an ally of Issei's this time around.

The moment he even moved a finger, Gabriel opened her eyes.

At first, Gabriel thought she was in a dream but when blinked, she realized something.

She sleep-walked again! She always used to do this at random times at night and now she did it in such an embarrassing way!

In an instant, Issei's watch reacted to her and pointed out that she was being tsundere again.

"Wha-! You tried to kidnap me, you sicko!?" She cried indignantly.

Issei panicked to get her to calm down but he failed.

"No! No! You somehow got into my bed during the night!" He cried but it was too late.

Gabriel charged her hand with light and had smacked Issei right across the left cheek. Even his right cheek felt the pain.

"GYAAAAAAHHHH!" Issei's echoing yell rang out through the mansion and even the whole city of Kuoh. Over time, it was even turned into a folktale about a howling scream that echoed through Kuoh every once in a while.

Issei got slammed from out of his door as he crashed into the wall.

He dropped to the ground in dazed pain as his blurring vision cleared itself before he blacked out again. That bright slap really packed a lot of power.

Gabriel, seeing what she had just done, returned to normal and dashed off of the bed and went to Issei's side.

"Issei-san! I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!" She pleaded that Issei would forgive her.

It looked like he had only been knocked unconscious from the crash so he would be okay. Regardless, she helped him onto his bed as Issei gathered himself.

"I'm so sorry, Issei-san. I should have never done that. It was too careless and rash of me." Gabriel started to tear up from her senseless action. She was never prone to violence before.

Issei sat up with the help of Gabriel and dismissed her worries.

"I'm fine. It's alright. It was all a misunderstanding so don't worry about it. I've suffered worse." Issei tried to console her but it didn't really help since Gabriel was feeling really bad.

The last time she hit someone like that was during the Great War and she had used a lethal version.

Issei decided to do something that he did whenever Asia and Koneko were feeling down. He put his hand on Gabriel's head and patted it soothingly. Gabriel blushed and looked up at him in surprise when he did that. She didn't object to it so Issei assumed that everything was fine.

When Issei was well enough to stand up, he went downstairs to help set up breakfast.

When Issei closed the door, Gabriel dove right into another one of her infatuated rants.

"Hee hee, Issei-kun patted me on the head. It felt so warm and nice! Geez, Issei-kun if you keep doing that, I'm going to fall even more in love with you!" She squealed to herself.

As she touched the spot that Issei patted, she began to think about how much stronger her feelings were growing. The whole night, in her sleep, she dreamed about having a future with Issei. She didn't know why but it just happened.

She had remembered dreaming about living in a comfortable home with 2 children and a pet.

Suddenly, without a moment's notice, a dark feeling and thought popped up in Gabriel's mind.

'Wait…if there are other women that love Issei, then I can't have a family with Issei. If I can't take Issei, I will have nobody. I will die alone. No. No. No. No. I love Issei. I need Issei. I can't let him go. I can't. I must have Issei. He's mine. I love him too much.' Gabriel ranted to herself as the dark feelings of a yandere erupted in her heart, tearing away the tsundere tendencies that she previously had.

* * *

When Gabriel came down for breakfast, everyone, excluding Issei, felt a powerful glare sent her way.

Akeno reacted very sharply as she immediately returned the glare with her yandere eyes. They peered right into Gabriel's causing two dark auras to erupt between them. ( _ **Comically. It's not serious.**_ )

Issei's watch began blaring on Defcon 2. Issei's eyes shot right at his watch and saw 2 clock hands glowing green, with both pointing right at Akeno and Gabriel. The warning label: yandere for both of them.

Gabriel sat down in front of Issei and gave him her usual smile. Issei was starting to panic. Having 2 yanderes in one room was a catastrophic thing. Still, Issei knew that Akeno only gave the yandere-eyed glare now and her moral conscience was not going to let her savagely harm someone. Gabriel, on the other hand, was probably more volatile.

Issei needed to defuse the situation and he needed to do it now.

Clearing his throat, Issei gobbled up his dinner and put his dishes and bowl in the sink. Gabriel, somehow and unknowingly, had eaten all of her food already and followed him. This left Akeno, who was glaring at the two with her hollow eyes. Deep down, she wanted to blast Gabriel but that would make war break out. ( _ **Figuratively**_.)

"Gabriel-san." Issei asked nervously.

"Hmm?" She sweetly urged Issei to continue.

"Did you want to continue exploring Kuoh today?" Issei was desperate to get her out of the house.

Gabriel started blushing in a very…over-the-top manner.

' _He…he wants to take me on a date?! Yes, please!_ ' Gabriel turned quickly to him and brought him into a crushing hug as her large mounds smashed into his face.

"Of course, Issei-kun!" She sweetly cried as Issei managed to pull away from her.

He staggered back to inhale some air but for some reason…he felt genuinely glad that she agreed to go with him so happily. Something about her smile just made his face burn with a strange feeling that made him kinda…nervous and even excited with joyous anticipation.

Issei had felt this so many times that he wasn't exactly new to the emotion anymore.

He hadn't felt this way since…since he had fallen in love completely.

' _Whoa, whoa, whoa. Am I…am I in love with Gabriel?!_ ' Issei was honestly puzzled by himself.

When did this happen?! How did this happen?!

Then the answer came to him.

It was her gentle smile. It was how kind and forgiving she was. When the alarms in Heaven went off when Issei ogled her chest, she didn't violently react like how some others would. She merely flicked him in the forehead and gave him a cute reprimanding.

Issei was nervous since now that he had feelings for Gabriel, he wondered if she felt the same for him too. Obviously, he hadn't noticed the way Gabriel reacted to him so it was safe to say that there was work to be done.

On Gabriel's end, she was a bit disappointed. It seemed like he hadn't picked up on how she felt for him so she needed to put more effort into making her feelings and intentions clear.

What a pair the both of them would make.

* * *

Preparing themselves for the day's journey, they left the house and continued to venture around Kuoh once again. As they entered the city, Gabriel had actually forgotten to formulate a devious plan to steal Issei away from the other girls and had focused on spending time with him.

A relief for Issei, really, who was unsuspecting of the whole thing.

Picking up where they left off from the other day, Issei was taking her to an outdoor ice skating rink since the weather had been forecasted to be like Winter again for the next month. That was weird and random.

The ice rink was pretty big, almost as bi football field with several doors for skaters to exit and enter.

Issei saw her gazing at the ice rink yesterday and decided that he'd make it a destination for the tour.

"Gabriel-san, how about we try this?" Issei pointed at the ice rink.

Gabriel actually looked a little intimidated but she chose to do it anyways.

"Sure." She muttered hesitantly.

After getting their skates and getting in the rink, Gabriel felt like she wanted to get off the rink and wear proper footwear.

' _I don't want Issei-kun to think badly of me_.' She worried.

She was shaky and quite nervous. She had never feared slipping and crashing like this before. Whenever she made a move, she nearly slipped. Had it not been for Issei, she would've fallen.

Thankfully, Issei had a gentle but firm grip on her hands.

"Don't worry, Gabriel-san. It's alright to fall at the beginning. You actually fall to learn. Now remember, to stay balanced and to bend your knees out and not in." Issei kindly instructed as Gabriel picked up on his advice and soon, she could glide with no problems at all.

"See, you're doing great." Issei congratulating her, motivated Gabriel to improve even more.

Soon enough, she could skate like a professional but even then, she wanted to stay close to Issei.

She skated around gracefully as Issei watched in awe.

' _She looks so beautiful when she's smiling and having fun._ ' Issei mused but he felt a sudden tap behind him.

He turned around and saw Gabriel skating by him with a mischievous smirk.

"Tag. You need to catch me now." She giggled as Issei dashed to catch up to her.

They chased each other around with abandon in delighted joy.

"Ah, no fair." Gabriel moaned as Issei had spun around in a circle, tapping Gabriel's upper back as he passed.

With competition flaring, Gabriel turned around and managed to tap Issei before they both slipped and fell out of the rink.

"Ah…" They both went before they tumbled to the floor together.

Issei's back hit a wall as Gabriel fell on top of him.

Gabriel's face was almost directly on Issei's, with their lips extremely close to one another. Gabriel had fallen directly on Issei's lap and it even seemed like she was straddling him.

"Eh?" They once again said in exact unison.

"My, my, my, young people have such fun accidents." An elderly coupled chuckled as they passed by the two.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" A few skaters went as they saw the spectacle.

Issei and Gabriel had flustered scarlet as they had never had this kind of interaction before.

Pushing Gabriel lightly off of him, Issei saw that it wasn't his place to do such a thing.

Rias was his official girlfriend and the other women in his harem were his lovers. Gabriel had made no such statement about romantic interest in him and so Issei restrained himself. It kind of made him uneasy and even a little sad but Issei decided that his sudden infatuation and romantic feelings of her would disappear like a small crush.

Gabriel, on the other hand, was a bit disappointed and angry.

"AAAWWW!" Several were disappointed at the anticlimactic ending and were about to turn away but something had drawn them back to look.

As he tried to get up, Gabriel slipped on her skates again when she tried to regain her balance. Unintentionally or not, Gabriel fell forward again, this time, her lips hit her mark.

Her soft warm lips crashed onto Issei's, who was flabbergasted.

"OOOOHHHH!" Several people went off at the kiss-by-accident cliché.

Issei couldn't deny that the kiss was heavenly.

Her lips were so alluring that his man urges were trying to make him prolong the kiss. He felt like he was in a bright and radiant place that made his heart warm and his heart fast like lightning.

Gabriel felt like she couldn't be happier. She had finally kissed the man that she loved, even if it wasn't done the way that she would've liked it to have.

Seconds later, Issei parted his mouth from hers, making Gabriel feel a little dissatisfied. Was he uncomfortable with it?

' _Does Issei-kun hate me now? He looked so bothered. I…no…I don't want Issei-kun to hate me! No!_ ' Gabriel was starting to panic. She returned her skates and left to follow Issei as he left the rink.

Issei was swirling in thought as he tried to wrap his head around what just happened.

' _How cliché. I got kissed by accident. Even though…even though I feel strongly about her, it's not my place. Gabriel-san is one of the Four Great Seraphs. I'm just a Pawn. Besides, she probably doesn't see me romantically, anyways. I should just forget about what just happened and let this blow over._ ' Issei hadn't heard Gabriel's calls until she pulled on his coat.

"Ah…sorry, Gabriel-san." Issei smiled apologetically.

"I didn't mean to make you waste your first opportunity like that. Let's just forget about what just happened." Issei turned around before Gabriel could say anything.

Issei didn't understand why it hurt so much to just ignore her and accept that he had just gotten her first kiss. Deep down, in his heart, he wanted to actually get with her romantically. However, Issei felt that it was wrong to just start having women join his harem for the heck of it. He loved all of the women in his harem and they already had feelings for him.

This was different. Gabriel didn't have feelings for him so his romantic feelings were invalid.

Gabriel was a bit hurt that he brushed off such a thing but she knew that he didn't want to discuss it. Him turning away without another word proved that.

Returning to the tour, Issei restored the mood to its original state, even if it was superficial.

He pointed out several sweet shops and let her try whatever caught her eye.

Gabriel had soon become particularly fond of dorayaki. She enjoyed the pancake sandwich with anko and ice cream in the middle.

Issei smiled once again as he was subconsciously happy about her having a good time.

"I'll get you some more so that when you go back home, you'll have some to share." Issei walked back inside the shop to get several more with a small smile on his face.

When Gabriel saw him walking, however, she could tell that something was off. He seemed to drag his feet sadly.

When Issei came back outside, he saw Gabriel looking bothered.

"Gabriel-san, what's wrong?" He was genuinely concerned about her. He was afraid that she wasn't liking the tour anymore and he was afraid that she was angry about the accidental kiss.

"I'm just thinking about returning home." Gabriel muttered sadly.

Suddenly, Issei felt a pang in his heart. She wanted to go home already? She didn't like it here that badly?

"You don't like Kuoh?" Issei asked dreadfully.

Gabriel shot up and made a contradicting face.

"No! Of course I like it here! It's just…I feel like I don't want to go home, even though I will have to eventually." Her voice sounded as if it was conflicted and confused.

"I want to stay longer. I want to have fun here. I want to learn more. I want to make more friends." Gabriel sounded like…like she wanted to fall. She wanted to throw away life as an Angel of Heaven and to live freely in order to experience life.

That was something Issei couldn't let happen, even if he wanted her to be happy.

"Well, if you want, you can always come visit my home whenever you feel like it. We'll be here so just let me know if you want me to take you anywhere again, I promise." Issei hoped this alternative was enough to persuade her and it was.

Gabriel considered his offer and nodded to herself and then turned to him.

"Okay. I'll make sure to call first." She smiled sweetly.

Issei nodded as a positive outcome had arrived.

"Please do."

Gabriel was about to fly off into space when he smiled at her with the most charming and sparkling smile that she had ever seen.

A scarlet color spread over her cheeks as Gabriel turned around shyly to hide it.

* * *

Just as a happy moment happened, trouble came.

Gabriel and Issei continued their tour until they came across a black-haired woman that seemed to bear a striking resemblance to Raynare's human form, Yuuma Amano. She was wearing a black jacket with a maroon shirt underneath with a v-neck and had stockings with a black skirt for her legs.

Issei froze when he saw her. The resemblance was uncanny and the woman looked quite alive.

' _That can't be right. She's…dead._ ' Issei was started to sweat. After being rid of her curse for so long, Issei felt it returning.

Gabriel looked where Issei looked and narrowed her eyes. She had heard rumors from Azazel about Issei being killed by a rogue Fallen Angel and that he had been traumatized by the event.

Gabriel didn't take kindly to that and her yandere-tendencies had made it worse, now that they were active. She was now glaring at the woman with hollow eyes that were like dark tunnels.

Still, something was off. Raynare was dead and gone unless…unless she had been resurrected through the Holy Grail.

The Raynare-look-alike walked away with a passive expression as she walked toward an unknown area.

Issei couldn't help but follow her in order to find out what was going on. He only hoped that everything was a figment of his imagination.

"Issei!?" Gabriel called out as Issei took off.

The unknown woman ran off as Issei followed her to a park, which happened to be deserted. Issei knew it was a trap but it was too late. He had to see this though to the end.

Gabriel tried to keep up with him without exposing herself but Issei was too rushed. Gabriel could only hope that he didn't get hurt but it was for naught in the beginning. Issei had already been in pain from the beginning.

The Raynare-look-alike stopped running and came to a stop. She turned around and looked at Issei right in the eyes.

Recognizing her eyes, Issei froze but made a stance.

A smile curled on her lips in reaction as she made a fake smile.

"You've gotten stronger…Issei-kun." She tauntingly spoke. Even her voice was the same.

Without a doubt, this woman was Raynare.

Issei growled in reaction but kept his calm. He didn't understand why, but he couldn't keep calm whenever she was involved in anything.

"I thought you were dead!" Issei growled.

"I was but somehow, I was brought back from the dead. I don't know how or why but I don't care." Raynare was now smiling as she could now taunt and curse Issei in the flesh.

Issei summoned the [Boosted Gear] and got ready to fight.

Raynare unfurled her wings and much to Issei's shock, she had 6 black Fallen Angel wings.

' _How did she get this much stronger?_ ' Issei remembered her having only 2 wings. It seemed like now, she was equal to Akeno in battle strength.

Issei donned his [Scale Mail] and flew into the sky, where Raynare awaited him.

When Raynare saw, slight fright crept across her face as she realized that he was far stronger than she had originally anticipated.

' _I should be over this lady already. What's wrong with me?_ ' Issei thought to himself but Draig reminded him about the task at hand since Issei hadn't completely erased her from his mind yet.

' _ **Partner, stay focused! You've overcome this already. Don't let her get to you!**_ ' Draig decided that he'd needed to keep checking on Issei's emotional state to make sure he didn't slip up.

Gabriel had arrived at the scene but Draig made the situation known to her.

"Gabriel, please don't interfere. This battle is meant for my Partner to fight." His voice rang from the gauntlet as Gabriel reluctantly abided by Draig's request.

Still, Gabriel wasn't whole-heartedly going to do as asked.

' _If she so much as dares try to put so much as a scratch on Issei, I'll slaughter her._ ' Gabriel thought darkly to herself.

Issei was dashing at her after boosting 10x times.

Raynare formed a pinkish-red spear of light and threw it at Issei, who knocked it aside with his gauntlet.

Raynare created 4 orbs of light and fired them at Issei, who dodged 3 but one of them had split into smaller pieces and struck his back.

Explosions popped on his back but he didn't even feel it. This was nothing to him anymore, physically, anyways.

"Well, Issei, your body can take a hit but what about your mind? After all, you can't bring yourself to kill your girlfriend, can you?" She taunted him with his agonizing past, causing Issei to hesitate for a moment as she hurled a spear of light at him.

Issei barely dodged it as it chipped a piece of his helmet, having nearly missed his eye.

In retaliation, Issei fired a small blast of energy at her.

"[Dragon Shot!]" He called out. The beam grazed her wing as she maneuvered out of the way.

"Oh, so you're not third-rate trash anymore. Still, the way you date is though." She made a small giggle at her own remark.

Issei growled in response.

' _Even though Rias, Akeno, and everyone else had melted the ice she made over my heart, why does seeing her alive make me feel so…weak?_ ' This was a question not so easily answered.

Issei decided to go all-out and did something Raynare never saw coming.

"[Welsh Sonic Boost Knight!]" Issei's armor purged itself of several pieces, creating a sleeker and less-armored Scale Mail.

Issei dashed forward and zipped between the several spears and orbs of light that Raynare fired at him.

As soon as he appeared over Raynare, he changed form once again.

"[Welsh Dragonic Rook!]" At his command, his armor returned to its original shape and then added on several thicker and larger armor parts.

Issei had already boosted 20x times so he would surely cause severe, if not fatal damage to her.

"[Solid Impact!]"

Issei punched right into her gut and the percussion hammer shot down in its gauntlet, causing a massive force of power to slam into Raynare's stomach.

Raynare coughed saliva and blood as she was slammed into the ground.

A large crater had formed where she had landed.

Underneath the rubble of stone and dirt, Raynare flew back out with her wounds almost instantly healed.

Issei didn't understand how until he saw something on her hands, specifically her fingers. He took a closer look and saw 2 white rings with 3 gems.

"Twilight Healing!?" Issei was astounded.

There was no way that Raynare could've stolen them from Asia again. Rias and the others would've killed her already.

"This brings back memories. These may be fake but they work the same way as the originals. I don't know how I got these but I have to say. At least this time, I don't have to kill a dumb girl." Raynare recalled the night where she had gotten the Twilight Healing Sacred Gear.

Issei didn't exactly like recalling that memory because it haunted him no matter what.

Draig was getting worried. Issei was being a bit rash. He wasn't exactly focusing on fighting Raynare and was too sidetracked with listening to her talk. Issei would've normally won already…unless he was holding back.

Why was he holding back?

" _ **Partner, if you keep dragging this on, nothing will happen. She's dead and gone. She can't hurt you anymore. Her words can't hurt you anymore.**_ **"** Draig tried to reason with Issei but it was pointless. Issei was too distracted with his past.

Gabriel saw that Issei wasn't fighting at full power, rather, he was holding back for some odd reason.

' _Issei-kun should be able to defeat her without a problem and yet, he isn't going in for the winning move. What's wrong, Issei-kun?_ ' Gabriel thought a bit about how Rias had told her one time about Issei's trauma. It was when she asked how Rias managed to officially become his girlfriend.

' _It all started when we saw each other for the first time. It felt as if there was something…instant there. Over time, my feelings had grown stronger for him ever since he saved me from an arranged marriage with Riser Phenex Before our Rating Game with my cousin, Sairaorg, I…asked him about what I meant to him. It seemed as if he couldn't see as nothing more as his Master and Club President but I learned from Akeno and the others that Raynare had in a way 'cursed' Issei's heart. He wouldn't allow himself to get closer to us because he was afraid of suffering the same traumas all over again. When the curse got lifted by the others, we were able to solidify our relationship._ ' Gabriel pieced together the information and decided to speak out.

"Issei-kun! You don't have to be scared anymore!" She desperately yelled.

Issei turned around to look at her before Raynare took the chance to create a massive ball of light and threw it at Issei, who barely managed to catch it in time and throw it back. The ball was merely reabsorbed by her in response.

"Oh? So you were scared of me? Scared like when we started our date?" Raynare made a mocking smirk at Issei, who didn't even pay attention to her.

"Issei-kun, the curse she has you under is gone now! You don't have to be afraid of her taunts anymore! They want to talk with you! All of the women that love you have told me that they had the happiest times of their lives being with you! They want you to call them by their names! They want to stay with you! That woman in front of you…was never worth your love in the first place!" Gabriel poured her heart and soul into saying that but she left out one part. She wanted to be with him too.

Issei had been so touched by her that he felt her grip on him shatter completely. There was so much truth that Issei had started to wonder why he allowed her to control him like that.

It must have been because of one thing.

"I still had some feelings for her." Issei muttered. He was barely loud enough for anyone to hear him.

Raynare looked a little shocked and then made another snide remark.

"And yet you never even got to touch me. What a shame it was. I doubt you even got to so much as touch the other women. That's how weak, low, and unattractive you are." Raynare made a small smirk when she thought about how pathetic she found him when she killed him.

Issei made a small chuckle in response.

This bothered Raynare.

"What's so funny?" She growled at him when it seemed like her taunts were no longer being effective.

She was mainly doing it for a laugh and to create a vulnerability in him. It looked like it was ineffective now. Permanently.

"I think it's funny that you're so vain. I have women that love me for myself and I love them in return. They're all greater than you could ever be. I don't understand why I was so into you but now I know that I wasted my time with trash like you. You didn't deserve my time and now I'll kick your ass. Goodbye, Raynare." With those last words, Issei decided to go full power to give her a final sendoff. It was actually much better than she deserved.

"I, the one to awaken, am the Red Dragon Emperor who holds up the truth of the King up High!

Holding the infinite hope and the indestructible dream walking down the road of righteousness!

I will become the Emperor of the Crimson Dragon!

And I will lead you all to the path of Heaven glowing in Crimson Light!"

As Issei finished his incantation, his armor changed form a little with slight jagged features and armor pieces adding to his armor. His form had also changed from a red to a crimson color.

Raynare was practically ready to beg for her life again. She had just been resurrected and now she was about to die again.

In a futile attempt to create a chance to escape, she created a massive spear of light and flung it at Issei, who was dashing at her while constantly boosting. It seemed like his determination to end the battle and be rid of his curse had made him even stronger.

" **BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!** " Draig's voice rang out from the gauntlet as Issei rapidly closed the distance between him and his foe.

"[Dragon Shot]!" He yelled as he fired a massive red blast of energy that vaporized Raynare.

When the beam dissipated and Issei floated back to the ground, he felt…relieved, even more than before when Akeno and the others comforted him. He released his armor and stared into the sky in thought for a brief moment about the closure he felt.

He turned around and saw Gabriel, smiling at him in admiration.

"Gabriel-san. Thank you." Issei didn't understand why but what he did next surprised him.

He rushed up to her and enveloped her in a strong embrace.

Gabriel was at first surprised by the action but she returned the warm hug while rubbing his back to reassure him that he had overcome his traumas completely.

"Gabriel-san, if it wasn't for you, I would've never been able to see everything so clearly. I thought she had lost her grip on me but when I saw her again…I realized that I still felt something for her. She had been my first girlfriend and that stuck with me. Letting Rias kill was the right thing to stop her but…just allowing someone I loved to die never sat to well with me, even if she was evil. Thank you." Issei spoke softly as he came to a thought.

' _Gabriel-san. She's so beautiful and kind. Her embrace is so warm and soft that it gives me hope. She makes me feel so at ease and relaxed when I'm with her. There's no doubt about it. When I first saw her smile, my heart skipped so many beats and then it wouldn't stop racing. At first I didn't think it was okay to say anything to her but now I know. I have to confess before I turn bitter about this._ ' Issei made up his mind and was ready to speak.

At the same time as him, Gabriel was thinking about how she felt about Issei.

' _He's so strong yet gentle. When I first saw him, I thought he was interesting but when I saw how hard he fought for his friends and family, I knew he was extremely special. My heart wouldn't stop racing when I saw how hard he fought for my home even though it wasn't anything to him. This whole weekend, he's been so sweet and helpful that he made me fall even harder for him. Everything Irina-san has told me about romantic love, I want to do what it entails. I need to do this now, or I'll be able get this aching feeling off of my chest. I don't care if I'm only one of his wives. I love him._ ' She declared resolutely to herself.

They both broke apart from their hug as Issei spoke first.

"Gabriel-san, there's something I have to tell you." Issei steeled his nerves so that he didn't mess up the confession.

"Ever since I saw you smile so happily at the arcade, I felt something. My heart wouldn't stop beating and I just wanted to be close to you. You were tolerant of me in Heaven when I ogled you and you didn't retreat in disgust. Whenever I'm with you I want you to be happy. I love you. So, will you give me a chance…to make you happy?" Issei's voice was soft and it made Gabriel shake and rock to the foundation of her core.

Gabriel couldn't help but stop shaking in joy and delight. She began to sniffle and heave as Issei became alarmed.

"Wha-What's wrong?" Issei held her closer to him as Gabriel shook her head.

"No. Nothing's wrong. I'm just-just so happy that you feel the same way." Gabriel looked up at Issei as she smiled brightly enough to make any man go blind.

"Ever since you fought to save my home, I couldn't stop thinking about you. When you took me out and gave me a tour, it made me want to stay here in the Human World with you forever. You were so sweet, kind, and strong that you made me fall in love with you. So, yes, Issei. I want to be happy with you, too." Gabriel dove forward and placed her warm and addicting lips over Issei's. It was such a wonderful scene that even the setting sun couldn't compare to the shining moment.

' _ **THIS IS BIG! Heaven and Earth are gonna go crazy!**_ ' Draig shouted uncharacteristically.

As they broke apart, Issei came up with an idea so that Gabriel could stay with him.

"How about you move into my home? Irina does the same thing. Even if you go to Heaven for work, you can still come back home to my place. We won't have to spend little time together in different places and you can still do your duties." Issei's suggestion was perfect and so Gabriel made sure to enact the plan.

She made a call and had made arrangements to live in Issei's home while still being able to do her duties as a Seraph. At first, Michael was very surprised that Gabriel had fallen in love with Issei but he soon felt happy for the both of them. He didn't complain or object, he simply made the arrangement happen as a heavenly gift.

With the green light, Gabriel ended her call and turned around to Issei and smiled as she leapt forward and wrapped herself in his arms.

Just then, Issei realized something. When they got home…Issei would see Hell for bringing in another woman into his Harem.

* * *

When the pair arrived back at the Hyoudou Residence, Issei opened the door and was slammed to the floor by Akeno and Rossweisse.

"Mghhh!?" He tried to cry out but his voice got muffled.

"Issei-kun, welcome home!" They cried in unison.

Gabriel was a bit shocked as a dark aura flared around her. She stared at the both of them with yandere eyes but Akeno returned the gaze with her own empty eyes.

Ultimately, it was a stalemate as the two of them were about to commence fighting until Issei shot up and diffused the situation.

"Man, I'm hungry! What's for dinner?" He laughed nervously

Rias and Asia came out from the kitchen and set down 15 large pots of sukiyaki. It seemed like Rias and invited Kiba and Gasper to dinner, as well as Kuroka and Lefay. Sona's peerage had even shown up as well. After a few minutes, even the Vali Team and Griselda and Dulio showed up for dinner, with no complaints at all.

"Sukiyaki. Don't think it's for you though. People are just gonna complain if you don't get fed." Asia was still being tsundere but Issei didn't care. He had just confessed and had his love reciprocated by someone that he had fell in love with though a mere look.

Rias noticed the way Issei and Gabriel interacted and then came to a shocking conclusion.

The two were in love! Gabriel was now in the Harem!

Rias sighed in exasperation when she saw that the Harem had grown again but as the legal wife, it was her duty to manage it.

When Gabriel saw all of the women looking at him, she saw how happy they were and decided that Issei had to be shared.

With this conclusion, the yandere tendencies that Gabriel had just exhibited had disappeared from her heart.

Now, there was merely strengthening light in her heart.

She leaned over to Issei, who had just eaten a piece of meat from the hot pot.

"Gabriel?" Issei looked at her bluntly.

When everyone heard him, they all froze and then spoke in unison.

"EEEEHHH!?" The sound was enough to make the mansion shake.

"Since when were you on a first name basis?" Xenovia shouted.

"No way!" Dulio gasped in surprise at first but then his expression became an honest and bright smile.

The whole place was in uproar until it finally settled down when Issei announced that he and Gabriel had reciprocated feelings.

Seeing as how nobody could exactly argue with him since Issei had made it his goal to be Harem King, they all just accepted it and got ready for the sukiyaki to finish cooking.

Last but not least, Sirzechs and Grayfia had arrived with Michael and Azazel, who were all on a few days off of work for vacation.

They humbly and kindly seated themselves in the crowd and began to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

Issei looked around and smiled with a happy and goofy grin. Here, there was no war or violence. There was only happiness and merry cheer happening. Everyone could relax, eat, drink, and get along.

"This is the best." He said to himself until Gabriel tapped his shoulder again.

"Gabriel?" He asked again.

"You look happy." She felt delighted that he felt so.

"Yep. Happier than ever. I fell in love with you and you returned my feelings and now we're all just having a giant party and laughing and eating. I've also confessed and had my feelings returned by the other girls too, so I'm so happy that I don't think Raynare can bother me ever again. This is really the best." Issei closed his eyes and inhaled the harmonious air until he felt someone hold both sides of his face.

He opened his eyes as Gabriel gave him a deep and passionate kiss.

"WHAAAAAA?!" Everyone exclaimed at the spectacle as Gabriel made a mischievous smile and latched herself cutely to Issei's arm.

"Issei, I'm so glad that I met you." Gabriel muttered before comedic chaos boiled over again.

Far away, Issei felt a pair of eyes look at him but he didn't know who. He just knew that it was from a woman though since he had felt that feeling before.

He didn't care though. He was happy with having fun with his loved ones.

That's what it's all about, anyways. Wanting others to be happy along with you.

* * *

 _ **What'd you guys think of part 2? Man, I really had fun writing part 2 for Gabriel. There's just something about her that pulls me to her. And were you surprised by me bringing back Raynare? Haha! I also know that there are plot-holes and loose ends to this story so I'll be giving some explanation in the next official chapter. Anyways, I hope that you had fun reading part 2 of Strengthening Light. See you all next time.**_


	13. Replies to Reviewers 2

_**Alright, I think it's time to do some replies again. Here's new replies to new reviews since I want you all to know that I read your reviews.**_

 _ **Replies are done in alphabetical order according to user name.**_

 _ **Date:1/29/16**_

* * *

Agent of the Divine One – _**Thank you for the comment. I appreciate it. I was a bit worried that Chapter 9 would be too much of a run-on chapter so this helped reassure me that you found it satisfactory.**_

Heath Oslo – _**I'm glad that you found the story funny. I'm not sure how to elaborate on the description but I'll try my best. I hope that this story continues to make you grin. Also, I've checked out your story and I think there's things that you've written that I like, like how you use words to make it seem more, how should I say it, poetic and interesting. I liked how you presented the text without making it seem boring. Keep up the great work.**_

 _ **I also considered putting Murayama and Katase into the harem but I felt that it would be too random to insert them into the story just yet. Emphasis on yet. Not sure how to progress from this point onwards now. Also, Azazel's gender changing ray got confiscated but I've read several gender-bended Vali stories with Issei and I found many to actually be good, with Vali being a girl at the beginning of the stories. I don't think that I'll do it for this story though, but maybe in the future, I'll do it for other stories. Sorry.**_

 _ **And about Gabriel, I picture her as a blonde too with green eyes but I picture her hair as straight instead of wavy.**_

1337 Pony – _**I happy to know that you like the story up until now. Thanks for the support.**_

Hyoudou Issei The Oppai Dragon – _**Haha! I'm glad that you liked how I wrote Rias's chapter. I also wanted to be a tease and throw in a devilish cliffhanger for part 1 of Gabriel's chapter. Kuroka will definitely make an appearance in the coming chapters and Serafall may or may be in the Harem since I'm not connecting or generating anything from her character yet. I like her energy though. Stay tuned, some things might happen.**_

Vexy Minon – _**Yes! I! HAVE! RETURNED! I will definitely keep up the good work since I have so many people willing to put their time and faith into this story.**_

Saint-14 – _**Very good idea and I won't give anything away but I'll be putting Kuroka into this story but the outcome may not be expected, though.**_

coolsiddhusmailbox – _**I'm relieved that you found the chapter readable. I still doubt my ability to write but this helps me be more confident. I try to write and update ASAP with my stories but I try not to do it blindly.**_

Wolfx – _**About that, I don't think those 3 will be put in the harem. Particularly Sona and Tsubaki. I like Tsubasa though and I did want to put her in the harem but I just can't generate any ideas and links with her. I'm very sorry to have to disappoint you. There is a strict limit to how many women a person can handle.**_

* * *

Guest 2 – _**Sorry, I saw her eyes as green in the anime and blue in the Light Novel. I originally had the impression that cyan was more of a blue color rather than a mix of green and blue with a change of shade.**_

* * *

 _ **On that note, that ends the replies for the 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **time. I also have an announcement.**_

 _ **I'm limiting Issei's harem to 10 women. I won't exceed the limit and Sona and Tsubaki and women from other peerages will not be in here. I don't want to screw over Saji or Riser. I'm sorry to say so but I must. I really liked some women that were in the Sitri and Phenex peerages but that would split their peerages and leave gaps in their teams. I didn't want that. Therefore, there's only a small few that are now potential candidates for Issei's completed Harem. I originally wanted to put Raynare in as a candidate but she's dead and gone in this story. I would've liked to put Grayfia in here too but she's married to Sirzechs and has a son.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm sorry to have destroyed some hopes but there's things I will and won't do. However, I might make another story where all of the suggested women will be in Issei's harem but let's not get too far ahead. I merely want to express future possibilities.**_

 _ **Until next time and oh, right. Next chapter continues from the previous chapter so that way, I have time to decide who the final Harem candidate is and Issei needs a break. I also want to throw in some more appearances too to see if I can create some chemistry between certain characters.**_


	14. Chapter 11: Party Time

_**So I decided to not make this chapter focus on a girl this time so that Issei can get a break and so that more characters can get introduced into the story. I also had SO MUCH FUN riting this chapter. I got to mess around and cause everybody some comedic grief.**_

 _ **WARNING ALCOHOL AND SUGGESTIVE TEXT. YOUNG READERS BEWARE. THIS IS HIGH SCHOOL DXD, THOUGH SO THIS WARNING WILL PROBABLY GET IGNORED ANYWAY IF YOUNG READERS ARE READING THIS.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 11 – Party Time**

It was the night that Gabriel and Issei had returned home from touring Kuoh, with the both of them coming back to a party and dinner to sukiyaki.

Michael, Azazel, Dulio, Griselda, Sirzechs, Grayfia, the Vali Team, and Rias's and Sona's peerages had gathered for a party.

There wasn't exactly any reason for it but it was just to get everyone to have some fun.

Before the gathering could actually start, the three leaders of the Three Great Factions stood up to say their words since they had thought up of the gathering.

"Everyone, if we could have your attention, please." Michael's loud yet gentle voice rang out.

"Tonight, we merely wanted to create a gathering so that we could all mingle and get to know each other better and to have a relaxing time." Sirzechs briefly stated their objective.

"So eat, drink, and have some fun while you're all still young." Azazel's piece was like that of an old man's which he was in a sense.

There were several tables set up with multiple cups and bottles of drinks laid out for everyone to access.

As they waited for the sukiyaki to cook, conversation broke out between different groups as they talked about different things while sipping on different beverages.

"So, Gabriel. I hear that you have joined Sekiryuutei's Harem. You okay with that?" Azazel smirked, interested in seeing if a cat fight was going to happen.

Azazel merely laughed.

"You're more accepting of it than some others." Sirzechs chuckled as he glanced at Rias, who made a defensive look. She was originally trying to keep Issei to herself but times changed her mind.

* * *

At one table, Irina, Griselda, Xenovia, and Asia talked about their religion.

"I've read the Bible several times already and I have so many favorite verses." Asia had twinkles in her eyes when she talked about her favorite subject.

"That's good. As believers, we must learn what we can." Griselda's response was well remembered by everyone at their table.

"I say the same thing to the others in my club at school." Irina agreed.

"As Student Council President, I read through the club activities that you proposed and I have to say no to some things." Xenovia strictly chided as Irina made a protesting look.

* * *

Kiba, Arthur, and Tsubasa were interacting at a table as they engaged in conversation about some unknown subject.

"Yura-san, I hear that you're quite popular among the girls at school?" Kiba gently chimed in.

Tsubasa made a glum face in response, which Kiba made a quick apology too.

"Several girls like me because they think I have bishounen face. It's sad, really." As Tsubasa spoke, she looked over at Issei, who she was enamored with.

"It should be fine. If you try hard enough, you could possibly get someone to notice you." Arthur advised her as he knew what falling in love was like.

* * *

At another table, Koneko and Dulio were talking about different foods while Tomoe Meguri and Reya Kusaka engaged them in conversation to get to know them better.

"I like snacks and pastries mostly but I also like other kinds of foods too." Koneko brightly spoke as Dulio nodded in agreement.

"I love eating pastries too. I especially, like Mont Blanc." Dulio smiled at the thought of it.

"Could you tell what kind of foreign patries you've tried, Dulio-san?" Reya politely asked.

"I wanna hear too!" Meguri smiled as she took a closer look at Dulio, who didn't seem to mind her energy.

* * *

Gasper, Saji, Momo, and Ruruko were sitting at a third table while Gasper and Saji exchanged stories about their traumatic experiences at Grigori.

"Y'know, they threw a wrecking ball at me?! It was way too big for me to catch, even if it helped me!" Saji cried a little when he remembered the pain.

"It's okay, Gen-chan. You don't have to go back there anymore." Momo soothed Saji as he took a large gulp of water.

"I remember some bad times too. One time, a Fallen Angel took me and tried to use me for an experiment. The way he was laughing was so scary." Gasper trembled

Ruruko tried her best to soother her junior, who seemed like he wanted to go back into his box.

* * *

Tsubaki, Akeno, Rias, and Sona were talking about their futures at their own table.

"The Rating Game School is almost done with reconstruction but it'll take a while to improve security. I'm thankful for everyone's support." Sona gratefully bowed as Rias dismissed her formal attitude.

"Any time, Sona. We're best friends, after all. Also, I've been meaning to ask something. Aren't you going to notice your pawn's feelings for you?" Rias asked with a mischievous smile.

Sona made a bashful neutral look. It was obvious that she wasn't going to say anything.

"Also, Tsubaki-san. Have you made progress with Kiba-kun? Ufufufu." Akeno deviously smiled as Tsubaki lost all composure.

It was as if steam was coming out of her head.

"We-well. N-no. Ah. Um." She tried to speak but with Kiba being within earshot, she couldn't say anything.

* * *

Bikou, Kuroka, Loup Garou, and Fenrir shared a table as they talked about different types of different species and races.

"Say, I thought you two would be fighting. Being a cat and wolf and all." Bikou joked as Kuroka

Kuroka gave Bikou an irritated look.

"If you want a fight, go somewhere else." She retorted with a provoking grin.

Loup didn't say anything as he waited for the sukiyaki to finish cooking.

Next to him, Fenrir merely sat quietly as he stared at the meat in the pot as Kuroka and Bikou started to playfully bicker.

* * *

Ravel, Rossweisse, Lefay, and Bennia were talking about their different experiences with magic, with Bennia's being quite scary to encounter but interesting to learn about.

"Well, I can't really use my family's brand of magic so I developed my own." Rossweisse showed a rune in her hand as Lefay took a close look.

"That's incredible and ingenious." Lefay was smiling happily as she studied what Rossweisse told her.

"The next time we have an Oppai Dragon event, you're welcome to come as a VIP." Ravel kindly offered Bennia and Lefay first class passes to Oppai Dragon events.

"Really?! That's so cool! Thank you!" Bennia was excited and feeling extremely lucky that she got a free VIP pass to see Oppai Dragon in the flesh.

* * *

Azazel, Sirzechs, and Michael were chatting about the old days and were even thinking of establishing a guy's night out, which was suggested by Azazel.

"Man, ever since Shemhaza and Baraqiel got into higher positions, I haven't had many buddies to drink with anymore. Everyone's just getting married and having kids." Azazel took a large gulp of his liquor in defeat.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I have time on the weekends to go drinking. I'll have to drink sparingly, though. I don't want to be a bad influence on Millicas and Grayfia will kill me.: Sirzechs chuckled heartily.

"I believe my weekends are unoccupied as well. Rest assured, I can make time." Michael gave Azazel a reassuring smile.

Azazel really was getting lonely.

* * *

Gabriel, Tosca, Valerie, and Grayfia were talking at their own table. The women were actually hitting it off great. It was a nice and mature area for the four. Tosca was surprisingly mature even though she still looked very young. Grayfia, who wasn't on-duty as a maid, was especially teasing with the other women at her table.

"So, Gabriel-san, I hear that you joined my younger brother-in-law's harem?" Grayfia made a small smile as Gabriel nodded in cheerful delight.

"Yes. I couldn't be happier. Meeting Issei…was one of the best things I've ever done." Gabriel smiled so brightly that it was as if she had turned into a small sun.

"I wonder, when I'll be able to fall in love and have somebody to embrace me lovingly." Valerie wondered if she would ever find that person.

"Me too. I think my chance will come though." Tosca looked at Kiba, who was still wrapped in conversation with Arthur and Tsubasa.

* * *

At the last table, Issei and Vali were talking about various things that were happening lately, with Draig and Albion talking about several things from the past. They still didn't remember why they had started fighting.

"I managed to accomplish the training the First gave me but I need to get even stronger. I've even tried making new techniques too, now that I have the [Wyvern Fairies] and [Penetrate]." Issei felt a sense of accomplishment but he also felt a sense of frustration.

"That's good. You're getting much stronger. Soon, we can have our fight and settle our rivalry." Vali made a small laugh as he had seen the power Issei had used to punch through Rizevim's defenses.

Meanwhile, Albion and Draig were having their own talk.

" **Chichi this, Chichi that. Ridiculous**." Draig spoke with an uncaring tone.

" **Ketsu this, Ketsu that**." Albion mused with a disgusted tone.

" **We will never cry over it anymore! Bring it on! We will win!** " They declared in unison as they forged a deadly alliance against breast and boob nicknames.

* * *

Everyone was having a merry old time as they ate and chatted.

But when the alcohol came out, all of the adults got drunk due to the strength of the liquor that Azazel brought.

The younger members of the gathering were merely drinking juice and tea that Azazel brought but he had also spiked their drinks with a powerful new magic potion that created effects that made someone act as if they were drunk even though what they drank wasn't alcohol.

This led to a very interesting and very disastrous night.

There was stuff going on in individual areas so the whole place wasn't in total disarray…yet.

* * *

Michael got knocked out cold after 10 shots. Azazel had made him drink and when Michael got back up again, he showed a bossy attitude.

"What are all of you doing! Get to work!" He pointed at invisible, non-existing people as he hallucinated.

* * *

"Why am I so behind in life?! How did I get so old?!" Azazel cried out as he contemplated his life.

* * *

"Grayfia. Where's Grayfia?!" Sirzechs looked around as he spotted Grayfia, quietly drinking in a corner.

"S-Sirzechs?" She cowered a bit when she saw that he was drunk. The last time this happened, she couldn't remember why she had passed out. All she remembered was that she was in a bed.

"Grayfia, my wife. I love you." Sirzechs hugged her tightly as Grayfia tried to get out of his warm and drunken embrace.

"P-Please let go." She moaned as Sirzechs kissed her. Then he did something that he would've never done sober. He made her chug a glass of wine, which caught her by surprise and it also got her drunk.

She hiccupped and looked right at Sirzechs.

"Zechs-chan! Caught you." When Grayfia started acting drunk, Sirzech's mental safety mode kicked in and made him sober again. A really useful safety measure, really.

"G-Grayfia!? What's happening?!" Sirzech's realized that he was caught in an embrace that he had just put her in.

"Zechs-chan. I love you! I love our family to that's why…" Grayfia had a naughty look in her eyes as she eyed Sirzechs like candy.

"Let's make Millicas a big brother!" She pounced on Sirzechs as he tried to fight her off. He got off his chair and ran around the mansion with a drunk Grayfia in tow.

"Zechs-chan! Wait!" She called cutely as she started to hunt down her husband.

* * *

"Gya-kun! Come here! I've got something nice for you!" Valerie had a drunken blush on her face as she had grabbed Gasper.

Thankfully, Gasper wasn't drunk but that would be his undoing.

"Here, eat this Gya-kun." Valerie shoved something into his mouth as Gasper started to burst into tears.

"NOOO! Garlic!" He cried out.

Before he could get away, Valerie made an evil look as she started undressing him out of his girl clothes and forced him to wear men's clothing.

"NOOO! Valerie! Stop!" Gasper couldn't stop her now that he had lost the battle of willpower.

"I've got you Gyasuke! You're all mine to torture now! Eheeheehee!" Valerie giggled with a sadistic grin as she dragged Gasper off somewhere.

"SENPAI! SAVE MEEE!" Gasper called out but nobody was coming. He realized that he was doooomed.

* * *

Sona was sitting at her table drinking sadly as she had gotten drunk too.

"Why is no man as smart as I am?! At this rate, I'll die with nobody smart enough to be my boyfriend!" She took another swig of her juice and passed as Saji made his way to her, albeit he was drunk too.

"Kaichou-senpai! Please notice me!" He cried until Momo and Ruruko caught him.

"Got you, Gen-chan" Momo had a drunken blush on her face and was hiccupping to add to that.

"Saji-senpai, have some fun with me." Ruruko seductively licked Saji's face, who shook in surprise.

The two women cragged Saji off to who-knows-where and they weren't seen for the rest of the night. All they had done as they went out of sight was pull Saji screaming: "Mine! Mine!"

* * *

Kiba was being attacked by Tosca as she drunkenly tried to seduce him.

"Isaiah-chan. Come here. Let's play." She made a pouting look when Kiba kept dodging her.

She was constantly trying to get a grip on him but he kept slipping out of her reach.

"Tosca, please get a grip." Kiba managed to avoid getting drunk from the spiked alcohol but he had to worry about Tosca chasing him now.

He had tried to get several others to calm down but Tosca had busied him.

"Isaiah, if you won't come to me, then I'll just make you stay down while I have fun," Tosca made a red-face and suggestive look that made Kiba shiver.

"No, Kiba-kun is mine! He's my boy toy! Gimme!" Tsubaki cried as she chased after Kiba while glaring back and forth with Tosca.

"Crap." Was all he said as he ran for his life.

* * *

Bennia was doing spinning tricks with her scythe as she drunkenly imagined an audience.

"I'll win the scythe-spinning challenge for sure!" She cried out as she passed out from the magic potion-spiked juice.

* * *

Garou had merely avoided drinking any juice that Azazel had brought and went up to a guest room that Issei had told him was his.

* * *

Reya was using her Sacred Gear, [ **Scouting Persona** ] to take embarrassing shots of everyone as she giggled mischievously.

"Blackmail it is, then." She laughed as she continued to take pictures.

* * *

Griselda had decided that she should avoid taking part in the chaos and went to bed in her room. She decided that she'd let everyone run free for once.

* * *

Dulio was pointing at nothing while eating a ton of pastries while he reported the weather forecast in a drunken slur.

"Tzonight, we'ver, hava fnowy fnight. Uffer fwing chwills in fa lowa thirtieeeesss." As he spoke, the weather really did go down as he had said. ( _ **He says: Tonight, we will have a snowy night with upper wind chills in the lower thirties.**_ )

* * *

Tomoe Meguri was knocked out instantly from drinking the magic potion-spiked juice so she was as quiet as a doorknob.

* * *

Tsubasa was in a bad mood while crying.

"Why does everyone think I'm a boy?! I'm a girl?!" She shouted as she wanted Issei-senpai, er, Issei to notice her.

* * *

Bikou was behaving like a monkey as he jumped around the ceiling while making monkey noises.

"Fall! Fall! FALL!" He shouted while laughing.

He would throw around empty banana peels as a joke but he slipped on them every time while nobody else did.

* * *

Arthur had restrained himself and decided not to get involved and turned in for the night. He wasn't going to wake up messed up.

* * *

Fenrir was howling like a wolf and chasing around his own tail as he had gotten some juice from Lefay.

* * *

Lefay was drunkenly drawing and scribbling around the walls of the Hyoudou Residence in a childish fashion until she collided with a wall and started to pout and cry.

"WWWAAAHHH! Onii-chan!" She wailed.

Faster than lightning, Arthur rushed back and saw Lefay crying and then falling asleep. His big-brother mode kicked in and he carried her to bed as he feared that she might get hurt if left unattended.

* * *

Vali, somehow, had gotten influenced when Azazel shoved down a whole bottle of the magic potion down his throat.

"I…AM…THE…KING! Who's the next challenger?!" He shouted triumphantly as he looked around for anybody to challenge him to a fight.

" **Vali, calm down.** " Albion tried to stop him but Vali merely looked around and spun in circles in a daze.

"Who said that?!" He shouted as he kept turning in a circle to find the source of the sound.

* * *

Kuroka was with Koneko, giggling with her as they played around like children.

"Hop-scotch! Twag! You it!" Kuroka and Koneko shouted to each other as they chas

* * *

ed each other around while acting like children.

"No Fwair. Onee-chan!" Koneko pouted as she chased after Kuroka.

Asia was busy trying to sing but her voice kept cracking as she tried to hymn a tune. If she weren't drunk, her real singing ability might've been assessed.

"Issei-san! This one's for you!" She yelled as she made a sound that was like a screech.

* * *

Irina was with Xenovia, arguing.

"Big-boobed brute!" Irina shot at Xenovia.

"Self-proclaiming big-boobed baby!" Xenovia fired back.

Irina looked stunned and then started to glare at Xenovia before running away and crying.

"WHAHAHA! ISSEI-KUN! XENOVIA's BEING MEAN!" She ran around while trying to look for Issei.

Xenovia then started to panic as Irina left.

"IRINA! WHERE DID YOU GO! DON'T LEAVE ME!" She then ran around trying to find Irina.

* * *

Ravel was silent but her actions weren't. She was doing a waltz by herself and eventually, she had tripped over a chair and spun around gracefully as she avoided falling on her face.

* * *

Rossweisse had turned into something of a delinquent. She posed like one and started to talk like one. However, she wasn't vomiting this time since she hadn't ingested alcohol.

"Who you lookin at foo'? Imma F*** you up!" She yelled at an unfortunate soul as she continued to spit profanity.

* * *

Akeno had snagged onto Rias as she played a game of static shock with her.

"Rias, let's play patty cake." Akeno deviously goaded her with a red face.

As they played and clapped hands, Akeno would make a static shock that hit Rias. It looked like Akeno had turned into a sneaky S.

"Ow, Akeno!" Rias got up and ran out of the room. As she ran out she skipped, twirled, danced, sung, and giggled as she moved along.

"I'm a princess! I can do what I want! I'm free!" She yelled like a princess as she went to go find Issei.

* * *

Gabriel, who didn't get drunk had already left to go look for Issei.

Issei, who managed to be wise, left the room and went to a guest room to hide. His room was too dangerous to go to so a guest room that was hidden was best.

He hid under the covers over lumps of blankets and waited for the noise to die down so that he could sleep in peace and comfort.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on him and then he felt a pair of arms encompass him.

He took off his blanket to see Gabriel blush and look at him sweetly.

"Caught you." She giggled as she took off some the blankets and cuddled next to him.

"What're you doing here?" Issei was wondering how she found him but he didn't really care anymore.

"I saw that you were gone so I went to look for you. It's getting really rowdy downstairs." Gabriel looked up at him as she kissed his chin.

"Yeah, I got out too before everybody started acting crazy." Issei was glad that he had company that wasn't drunk.

Unfortunately,…he was wrong. Gabriel was drunk.

Gabriel snaked her arms around Issei's neck and pressed him into a hug as she nuzzled his chest and intertwined their legs.

"Issei. Issei. Caught you! You're all mine." Gabriel continued to cutely snuzzle and hug with Issei until he protested.

"Gabriel. Are you okay?" Issei asked, concerned.

"Issei, I'm hungry. Feed me. Ahhh." Gabriel said as she saw several plates of food by the bedside dresser.

Issei relented as he took a piece of fruit and put it in Gabriel's mouth.

"Issei! Carry me around!" Gabriel drunkenly asked.

"No." Issei regretted his words when Gabriel started to sniffle and cry.

"Issei doesn't like me anymore." She sniffled again until Issei kneeled on one knee.

"Okay." Issei surrendered in defeat.

"Yay! I love you, Issei." Gabriel climbed onto Issei's back as he gave her a piggy-back ride.

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open as everyone in Issei's harem had found them.

"Issei, what about me?!" They all spoke in unison as Issei began to panic.

They were all acting drunk and he was only one person. Running wasn't an option since the exit was blocked.

"Wait! Let's talk first!" Issei backed up as all of the girls made jealous glares and inched closer to him.

"Issei, protect me." Gabriel gave him a smooch on the cheek, sending the other girls into a frenzy.

' _Oh well, this is worth it._ ' Issei mused as he then regretted his words.

A distance away, Kuroka looked on in interest and jealousy as she saw so many women crowd around him.

"I want in too." She mumbled before the night ended.

She was definitely going to get closer to him.

* * *

 _ **I hope this was a fun chapter for you all to read. I certainly had fun writing it. I didn't include Riser's and Sairaorg's Peerages because the headcount would've gotten too big to control. I messed around a bit with this because I wanted to create a fun fiasco at one single time and yes, Kuroka has won the last spot in Issei's harem. I also wanted to put in random effects for everybody just for the heck of it since I had nothing specific to go off of regarding everybody's drunk sides. Anyways, until next time.**_


	15. Chapter 11Extra: Aftershocks

_**So it's been about 2 weeks since I updated so I decided to do a double update. This little chapter is just something I did for a little more fun. I also did this chapter to give a more complete ending to Chapter 11 so that I didn't just jump to the next girl in the harem. Don't worry this is part of a double update. Certain parts are out of context but I did the best I possibly could. Also, SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 18 AND 19 ARE INCLUDED. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 11 Extra: Aftershocks**

Almost everybody from the previous night had woken up the next morning with _very_ terrible headaches. It was as if hammers were smacking everyone on the head, except for the people who didn't drink anything that Azazel had brought the previous night. They were namely: Griselda, Garou, and Issei.

* * *

Issei, himself, had woken up covered and being latched onto by his harem of 9 women. Issei felt content that so many women loved him and it made him happier to know that he felt the same way. He didn't want to turn into some playboy freak who did it with women only for the sake of it.

He yawned and stretched his arms but he had inadvertently disturbed the others.

Akeno, who was to his right, and Gabriel, who was to his left, sat up in their bare glory and latched onto his shirt.

They pulled him back down to bed and cuddled with him comfortably as they laid their heads on each side of his chest.

"Mine." Akeno softly spoke as she mingled her legs with his.

"Stay." Gabriel moaned as she attached herself to him and clung to his chest.

Issei merely smiled and sighed softly.

' _Two busty beauties who are being so cute, made me a request. Can't say no to that._ '

Issei relaxed and looked at the clock. It was currently 5:30 am so he decided that a little more sleep couldn't hurt.

Unexpectedly though, as he slept, he didn't notice a certain someone sneak into the bed.

Kuroka stealthily moved onto the giant bed and cradled Issei's head as she took a good long look at him.

"You've become quite manly, Sekiryuutei. I think I might be falling for you, nya." She smiled warmly with a blush as she acknowledged her own growing feelings for him.

Issei didn't know why but he felt a sense of completion beginning to spark in his heart as he slept.

Akeno groaned in her sleep as she felt something was off. It was like somebody else was going to take Issei's attention and she'd have even less of it.

Gabriel frowned in her sleep as she felt like a new rival was officially becoming more apparent.

"No." Akeno and Gabriel said at the same time as they tightened their hold on Issei. It was surprising that the 2 had sensed the coming events even though they were asleep.

When Issei woke up again, it was 9:00 in the morning. Issei listened into the atmosphere and heard that nobody else was awake yet.

Judging from the chaos last night, there was going to be a lot of cleaning up to do.

* * *

In other areas of the mansion, the results of chaos were apparent.

The Dining Room and Living Room were trashed with bottles, plates, chopsticks, and silverware.

When everyone started to wake up, they felt the effects of the previous night settle in.

* * *

Michael and Azazel had immense hangovers and had the urge to apologize for things that they didn't remember doing.

* * *

Grayfia and Sirzechs woke up in…an adult situation. Grayfia felt like scolding herself for her actions the previous night. Sirzechs was worried that they had just done something that they had rushed into. Hopefully, Grayfia wasn't going to beat him senseless.

"How could I have done this? I should've had more self-restraint." She groaned as she covered herself with the blanket.

Sirzechs was on his side facing the other direction.

' _Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Remember our son, Grayfia._ ' Sirzechs shivered until he felt Grayfia wrap her arms around him lovingly. Apparently, Grayfia was in a tender mood today.

"Zechs-chan." Grayfia smiled as she remembered the last time they were like this. It was just after they had married in their younger days.

Sirzechs merely smiled and held her to him.

It looked like Grayfia was going to need more time off soon. She had missed doing this with her husband.

* * *

Valerie awoke on a bed with Gasper sleeping inside of a box while wearing a boy's clothes. Valerie decided that she had some apologizing to do to the boy since she felt guilty for some reason.

"Sorry, Gya-kun. I'll make up for this later." Valerie smiled and caressed Gasper's face.

* * *

Saji awoke with sore arms and realized that Momo and Ruruko were sleeping on each side of him. He noticed that all 3 were wearing almost nothing except for undergarments. He prayed to the deceased Maou that Sona wouldn't find him in this position.

"Kaichou will kill me if she sees this." Saji shivered in fear of retribution.

"Gen-chan." Momo subconsciously spoke.

"Saji-senpai." Ruruko held her hand out in her sleep.

"I love you." They both said in unison.

Saji was shocked silent as he felt conflict in his heart.

"How do I deal with this?" Saji sighed as he thought over the moments that led up to this.

* * *

Kiba had managed to hide himself in a hidden room in the Mansion the previous night and slept over. The whole previous evening, he had been chased nonstop but Tosca and Tsubaki. He awoke to find that Tosca and Tsubaki had made their way to his bed. They were both clinging onto him and were wearing…questionable amounts of clothing. He didn't understand how but it happened.

"Wha?! Wha-wha-wha-wha?!" Kiba stuttered in utter shock as his head tried to rationalize the situation and solution.

' _Think Kiba, think!_ ' Within a few moments, Kiba did something that Issei taught him ever since Tosca came to live with him.

Issei anticipated this kind of situation when he learned of Tsubaki and Tosca having feelings for Kiba. As his brother, Issei gave Kiba advice so that he would escape certain injury from angry women. Harems happened to have this situation quite often.

' _Slowly wiggle and snake my arms from their grasp and lightly get off of my bed without making a sound by flying off very silently._ ' Using Issei's advice, Kiba managed to slowly glide off of the bed and landed stealthily on the floor.

Using his speed, Kiba snuck out of the room in without a single creak and closed the door with a soft thud.

Crisis averted.

* * *

When Griselda came downstairs, everybody got lectured by her, especially Dulio since he caused a massive weather event that became known as All-Weather Night, when snow, rain, and clear skies switched around in the sky and then happened simultaneously.

* * *

Garou hadn't come out of his room so he missed a lecture.

* * *

The damage that everyone had caused the previous night was obvious but thanks to the 3 Great Leaders, er, 2 Great Leaders and a Former Leader, the whole Mansion was cleaned up within a matter of seconds.

* * *

When Issei woke up with his harem, everyone had headaches, minus Issei since he drank no alcohol or magic potion.

"Owwww. My head hurts." Asia moaned as she clutched her head.

"What happened?" Rias felt like she had spent a whole night on a roller coaster.

Akeno seemed fine and even felt a little giddy from the potion's effects. She really was part masochist.

Gabriel wasn't exactly effected in a negative way since she was so powerful. The holy energy in her must have burned the impurities from her system after a short while.

Issei had slept quite comfortably but suddenly, he noticed that his vision had been obscured.

"What's this? Wait! I'm blind! I can't see!" Issei panicked as he realized that he couldn't see no matter what he did but suddenly, he noticed that the shadow covering his eyes could move.

As a matter of fact, it moved and it was soft and bouncy.

"No, wait. I know this sensation." Issei recognized the feeling of what was on his face.

"It's so noisy, nyaaah." A voice groaned sleepily as the shadow removed itself from Issei's face.

"Kuroka!" Issei was utterly surprised that she had climbed into bed with him and his harem. Last he remembered, she had been downstairs.

"Oh, Sekiryuutei. Good morning." Kuroka sounded lazy and scratched her ear before going back to sleep.

' _This lazy cat._ ' Issei grumbled to himself before the other women took notice of her.

"What?!" They all exclaimed as they knew what was going to happen after this. She was going to be another harem candidate.

Akeno, Rias, and Gabriel immediately dashed towards him and cuddled him as if to protect him from her.

"Bad kitty! Stay away from our Issei!" Rias warned defensively.

Issei understood that they had been enemies once but that wasn't the case for now. He wasn't sure what Vali or Kuroka, herself, would do but he understood that they were allies. Bad treatment was something Kuroka and Koneko should've had enough of.

"Alright, that's enough." Issei calmly spoke out, surprising every person in the room.

Issei was resolute in the fact Team DxD needed to be a real team and not a rag-tag group that had internal fighting.

"Right now, we're all allies. We should be getting along because in the end, our lives will be put in each other's hands, whether we like it or not."

Issei clearly got through to everyone with his words since he saw expressions shift and change.

Kuroka was especially touched. Up till very recently, she wasn't exactly trusted by everyone within the Hyoudou home. The only one who seemed to show some trust was Koneko a.k.a. Shirone. No man, had stood up for her before in this way, well, except for Vali.

"Anyways, let's all get cleaned and go down for breakfast. I'm pretty sure the place is a mess since Azazel got everybody drunk and crazy." Issei feared to see what could possibly have happened to his home when he got downstairs.

* * *

Surprisingly, the whole mansion had been cleaned through Michael's, Sirzech's and Azazel's magic. However, it was clear that nobody was in good shape at all.

Everybody who got drunk as having a hangover since the power behind the liquor and wine that Azazel brought was enough to knock out any human in one sip. The same could be said for everybody who drank the spiked juice that Azazel made.

"Well, I guess coffee it is." Issei went into the kitchen to turn on the giant coffee-maker that had come with the house. There were 4 giant coffee machines that could make 8 large cups of any kind of coffee at a time, courtesy of Lord Gremory.

After making several cups of black coffee, Issei placed them on trays to be carried out.

"Well, pure black, unsweetened, coffee won't help sober you up but a least it'll make you think twice about drinking." Issei took hold of one tray until Griselda, Kiba, Arthur, and Gasper came inside the kitchen.

"We'll help too." Kiba simply said as he took a tray, followed by the other3 behind him.

* * *

Apparently, for the next few days, everybody present was on break. It seemed like Kuoh had suffered a sabotaged system where the whole school got trashed by the storms from the previous night and all of their electrical appliances needed replacing.

It was actually Dulio's fault but Azazel covered for him, saying that he had mixed up the juice and alcohol that he brought to the party. In truth, he spiked it for fun.

Still, that didn't change the fact that it would probably take a week, maybe 2, to get school back on track.

Issei was so happy that he thought he might power up again since he had 2 weeks with no homework.

* * *

Issei took a tray to a table where Michael, Azazel, and Sirzechs sat.

"Here. Have some coffee." Issei made sure to that they all drunk it so that they wouldn't be childish and pass on it.

"Thank you, Issei-kun." Sirzechs smiled weakly before taking a sip.

Immediately, he spat it out along with Azazel. Michael, being the nice guy, forced himself to swallow it.

"Bitter!" Azazel exclaimed before Issei made a fake forgetful smile.

"Ah. Sorry. I forget to put sugar and cream in. I'll go get it." Issei went to go do as he said since he wasn't cruel enough to make them drink all of their giant mugs of bitterness.

* * *

Griselda brought some mugs to Grayfia, Valerie, and Gabriel, who all drank it hesitantly.

Grayfia was about to shout about how bitter it was but restrained herself. Although, she made a face that showed the nature of her thoughts. Her eyebrows arched, her lips twisted and she took a while to gulp her drink down.

Valerie. Did. Not. Like. It. At. All.

"Blegh!" Was all she said before softly pushing her drink aside politely.

"Please drink it. You'll feel better." Griselda lied. She was a strict person so she was doing this to teach the other 2 women a lesson for going so crazy.

Valerie glared at her tea cup and relented. She gingerly held it as she forced herself to hug the warm incarnation of bitterness.

Grayfia took small lady-like sips but every time she did, she felt like blaming Sirzechs.

She glared at her husband, who shook and shivered even though his back was turned to her.

* * *

Kiba took some coffee to Tsubaki, Tosca, Tsubasa, and Reya, who all took the coffee unwillingly.

"Please drink it." Kiba flashed his most powerful smile. It was so strong that none of the women at the table could refuse, especially Tsubaki and Tosca.

"Fine. Isaiah." Tosca took a sip and started coughing as the hot drink burned her tongue.

Kiba slowly patted her back with an apologetic smile before moving on back to the kitchen.

The whole time, Tsubaki eyed him with a blush. She hadn't even registered the bitter taste of the coffee until after she stopped paying attention to the Knight.

"Tsubaki, you really like black, unsweetened, coffee?" Tsubasa inquired before Tsubaki felt the urge to recoil from her mug.

Tsubaki almost dropped her mug to gag at the coffee's taste until Tsubasa caught it with a lazy catch.

It looked like Yura wasn't too much of a morning person. She looked a little grouchy but it didn't mean that she actually was…some hoped. When she saw Issei, however, her mood instantly brightened.

* * *

Saji, Momo, and Ruruko sipped the coffee that Gasper had brought to them. Strangely, Momo and Ruruko didn't exactly care about it. The whole time, they blushed as they stared at Saji, who was currently groaning about the taste of the coffee. It seemed like a lot of things had happened the night the previous night. Nothing explicitly sexual but more confrontational about Saji not paying any of them attention.

 **FLASHBACK: THE PREVIOUS NIGHT**

Saji was being dragged to a guest room and he had been locked inside with Ruruko and Momo, who were both glaring at each other.

"I have more womanly charm! Gen-chan should be with me!" Momo was vehemently trying to lay claim to the Host of Vritra.

"No way! I'm cuter and I have an energetic personality! I should get to be with Saji-senpai!" Ruruko was quite obstinate about being with her precious senior.

Saji was confused for a bit until Vritra did some magic to make Saji a bit more coherent with some of his flames. With the magic potion burned out of his system, to an extent, Saji was able to understand what was going on.

Saji felt his mind and vision clear up and was taken aback by the spectacle in front of him.

Momo and Ruruko had undressed to their undergarments in order to compete in appeal. For 2 people acting as if they were drunk, they were awfully coordinated.

The 2 women immediately turned their attention to Saji to decide a verdict and to completely address the problem once and for all.

"Gen-chan! Which of us do you prefer?! And you cannot include kaichou in this!" Momo was not only irritated but hitting a critical point of discontent. Saji had left her hanging long enough. He should have been able to see by now that she and Ruruko felt for him.

Ruruko nodded eagerly. She too, was tired of this little charade. The time to settle this dispute was here.

Saji was utterly uncomfortable. Secretly, and subconsciously, he had noticed that Momo and Ruruko would look at him tender and affectionate eyes. He honestly and wholeheartedly loved Sona but he couldn't deny that the feelings of the two had touched him.

After achieving Balance Breaker, he examined his life. He looked back at how far he had come till now. He thought about his comrades and loved ones. When he got to Momo and Ruruko, he realized that the 2 were affectionate in a very noticeable way towards him.

This whole time, he had kept his eyes on Sona alone but when he understood how he neglected Momo and Rurko, he felt like the worst. He had constantly been flaunting and spouting about how he loved Sona and it must have had made Momo and Ruruko take so many blows to their self-confidence.

"I'm sorry." Saji spoke simply but before he could finish, Ruruko and Momo picked up their belongings and prepared to leave.

"No! Wait! Momo! Ruruko!" Saji called out desperately so that he could make his piece.

The 2 said women turned around hesitantly. They looked at him with hurt expressions.

"I'm sorry about leaving you 2 to hang for so long. I kept shouting about how I felt about Sona-kaichou without even thinking about how you 2 felt. I'm so sorry, but I want to make things right." Saji had no idea where this whole speech was coming from and he couldn't stop himself.

"Momo, I think you're really beautiful and you're always so sweet when you spoil me and get close to me. Ruruko, you're always energetic and you always cheer me up whenever I'm feeling sad or disappointed. I didn't notice it until now but now I know." Saji was really confused. Did he really feel this way? It felt so right to him when he spoke his feelings but he didn't know that he had them in the first place.

"I love the both of you and kaichou!" Saji declared with the same resolution and determination that he had when he achieved Balance Breaker.

Momo's and Ruruko's eyes widened as tears started to drip from them in relief.

' _He's reciprocating!?_ ' The 2 were stunned beyond belief. They didn't care about the other right now, they only cared about the fact that they had gotten through to Saji.

"Gen…chan." Momo couldn't believe what she was hearing. For a long time, almost 3 years, she had made her interest and true romantic feelings in him known and now…she had succeeded.

The same story went for Ruruko, except she had only 2 years to try and get her senpai to notice her feelings.

The 2 immediately dashed to him and tackled him to the bed.

"Gen-chan! Gen-chan!"

"Saji-senpai! Senpai!"

The 2 women were crying tears of joy as they clung and nuzzled him. Still, Saji wasn't done yet.

"However, I still love Sona-kaichou. I still want to confess how I really feel but I want you 2 to know that I…love you too. That's why, you don't have to compete for my feelings anymore." Saji didn't want the peerage to tear itself apart so with his true heartfelt emotions, he dealt with the rift that had formed.

Momo and Ruruko nodded. They didn't care about their rivalry anymore because the revelation of Saji returning their feelings was more than enough to satisfy them.

"Okay, Saji." When the bishop and pawn stared at him lovingly with sparkling smile, Saji's consciousness flew off into orbit.

' _It's only natural that this happened. Wielders of dragon Sacred Gears usually end up with harems, like the Two Heavenly Dragon Emperors._ ' Vritra commented with a passive tone.

It looked like Saji was finally catching up to Issei, but catching up wasn't important. Relationships were never a form of games.

 **FLASHBACK END**

* * *

Back in the present:

Meguri, and Dulio were rubbing their heads as Dulio was getting a lecture from Griselda.

"As the leader of DxD you should've been more careful. I won't place all of the blame on you since Azazel made a mix-up but next time…you'll get punished." Griselda gave him a light warning and Dulio understood it but he would probably forget it later. Meguri had been in a better shape since she didn't drink much of the spiked juice.

* * *

Bikou, and Fenrir sat at a table, with no obvious energy. Kuroka was still sleepy from the previous night and Bikou had a lot of bruises from constantly falling from his banana peels. Fenrir was a bit stunned that a proud being like himself, had been reduced to a mere normal dog last night. Chasing his own tail, how unbecoming indeed.

* * *

Lefay had a huge headache and didn't feel like saying anything or doing anything. That was the last time she would ever drink a spiked beverage, if she knew it anyways. She expected Arthur to get mad at her but he didn't. He merely patted her on the head and said it was okay.

"None of us knew what was in that juice so you all drank it. However, be careful next time. You don't know what kind of dangerous things that could be placed in our food and drink." Arthur gently patted her on the head as he went to go help get more coffee.

Arthur made his way to the table where Bennia, Koneko, and Ravel were sitting. Bennia was watching the Oppai Dragon show but looked gloomy. Her arms were sore from twirling her scythe all night so she had to drink her coffee with a straw. Ravel had the same story but she just couldn't walk that well at the moment. Her feet were killing her. Koneko, who was still sleepy, felt like all of the snacks and candy in her stomach wanted to revolt but she used some Senjutsu to ease her stomach and her head a little.

* * *

Sona, Asia, Irina, and Xenovia were trying to restrain the pounding in their heads but it was useless.

Griselda brought over coffee to ensure that she'd catch Xenovia.

Spotting her older sister, Xenovia put her head down to avoid facing her but Griselda knew the young woman could hear her.

"As the 3 of you are followers of our religion, you should've been more careful with the amount of juice you drank. I checked it out and the juice had a potion in it. One cup was enough to make you notice something was wrong. Why did you drink 4 glasses each?" Griselda glared dangerously at the Church Trio.

"I'm sorry." The 3 all spoke in unison since they had no excuses. The juice was really good though.

Griselda decided to be lenient since they didn't exactly know what they were doing since they had been caught in the flow of the party but she still had to say something.

"Later, Xenovia will be doing 100 laps around the mansion. Irina will do 100 sit-ups. Asia will do 100 push-ups. All of you will wear weights." Griselda made sure she had a final tone and walked away.

The Church Trio were silently reflecting on their actions and dreadfully awaited the time of when they had to be punished.

Sona was actually feeling bad for a reason unknown to her. She felt like she had just realized that she was…lonely. Lonely as in she didn't have somebody to lean on and stay close to. It was as if she had found a desire to look for a someone, a lover. Sona thought about how high her standards had been and had now sought to lower them.

On that note, she passed a look at Saji, who she knew had feelings for her. When she glanced at Saji's table, she saw Momo and Ruruko looking at him with powerful red blushes.

' _Strange. Dragons must have a thing for harems, albeit unintentional._ ' Sona made a small chuckle.

* * *

Akeno, Rossweisse, Gabriel, and Rias were all sharing a table and all were looking rather…pleasant despite the way their heads were aching.

Akeno was smiling in an odd way. Somehow, the M side of her was showing up so she wasn't exactly agonizing over her mock-hangover. At the moment, she only had Issei on her mind.

Rossweisse was staring into her mug as she reflected on how she had acted like a delinquent and started to yell curse words while lecturing some random person. It was so embarrassing for her. If her grandmother had seen her, she'd never hear the end of it.

"Muuuu. I've failed as a teacher." Rossweisse covered her face following her words.

Rias was still mulling over the fact that it was clear that Kuroka was about to enter the Harem. Her sixth-sense as the legal wife had made her aware of such a thing. It happened enough times for her to acknowledge what was going on. Still, she felt no insecurities, just exasperation since she had to manage a harem of 10 lovers for Issei now, including herself. Yet, if Issei was happy, she was too.

Gabriel was giddily smiling at how much Issei was willing to spoil her the previous night. Not only did he carry her around the mansion while having a serious and romantic talk but he made an oath to her. For as long as she lived, she would never forget it.

Issei brought coffee to them and expected them to look sullen and grumpy but he was wrong. He had been met by nothing but smiles and cheerful laughs when he came to them.

"Thank you, Issei." The four had no problems with each other as they drank their coffee with gusto.

Issei felt his mind get blown to smithereens when they all smiled beautifully with blushes and laughs to him.

' _I am ready to die now._ ' Issei felt complete to have had such a wonderful experience.

* * *

After everybody had recovered, they all started to leave after they were well enough to walk and act normally. Griselda provided testament to everyone's mental states when she checked to see if everybody was in their normal states again.

To say the least, everyone felt a little embarrassed at what had happened within the last night but there were some things that were worth it.

Before Azazel left, he pulled Issei to the side in order to have a word with him.

"Hey, Issei, I forgot to tell you this but you need to know about the full effects of what I put in the juice last night. That juice had a potion that caused drunken behavior but it also cleared away the effects of the **Personality Ray** so rest assured that the girls are back to normal now." Azazel gave Issei a pat on the back.

"Great job with working out your harem. You not only reassured them and confessed your own feelings but you also got them to feel okay about sharing you while they were acting different. Also, I. Am. So. Proud. Of. You. For getting with Gabriel." Azazel flashed a proud and joyous smile with tears in his eyes. He felt so proud that his pupil had captured the heart of the most beautiful female Angel in Heaven.

On that note, Azazel left with the many others who had come for the party. This left only the residents of the Hyoudou home.

Far away in the back, Kuroka looked on at Issei as she felt a powerful scarlet heat spread across her face. Her heart was trying to work overtime on the treadmill and she couldn't control it.

"Sekiryuu- no, Issei." That was all that Kuroka said as it became clear that her blossoming feelings for him were ready to show themselves.

* * *

 _ **Alright that's the end of the first extra chapter and now, Update 2 awaits you, which would be Chapter 12.**_


	16. Chapter 12: Naughty Becomes Nice

_**And. Here. We. ARE! A much and long-awaited chapter! I hope you all enjoy this chapter because this chapter will be where I introduce the very last harem member for Issei. I will still try and continue this story because I have loose-ends that I want to tie up. This chapter is Update 2 so it happens directly after Chapter 11 Extra: Aftershocks. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Naughty Becomes Nice**

After every guest had left, the mansion became a bit quiet.

Issei hoped that nobody was going to get themselves in trouble.

Still, he wondered how things were going to end up now that the Personality Ray's effects were gone from the girls. Were they going to start competing for him again? Issei wasn't sure that he wanted to find out since everybody's feelings had escalated.

Before he could continue his thoughts, he felt 2 large and soft mounds press onto his back.

He darted his head around to see a mischievous black-furred nekoshou.

"K-Kuroka?!" Issei was alarmed, to say the least. Normally, she was trying to establish physical contact with him but this time, she seemed particularly seductive in a serious way.

"Say, Sekiryuutei?" Kuroka's usual provocative tone was replaced by a more grateful one.

"I wanted to talk with you in private for a bit."

The way Kuroka pleaded made Issei think that she wasn't just going to try and talk him into having children with her for his genes.

Nodding politely, Issei led Kuroka to a room just so that the 2 wouldn't be disturbed. Unfortunately, the other women of his harem had followed them.

* * *

Closing the door behind him, Issei turned around to find Kuroka standing in front of him, with her posture proper and graceful.

"I wanted to say thank you, Sekiryuutei. Because of you, Shirone is smiling exactly like how she used to when we were children. She may not talk with the same tone that she used to but she's definitely happy again. As her big sister, I failed her by destroying her old life and then abandoning her. Then…I tried to kidnap her with force, even though that was the wrong way to approach her again after so long. When I saw her again, I wondered what could make her seem so content again and then I learned that being a part of a group of people that you cared about…could make you feel like that." Kuroka looked down in shame as she let out repressed emotions and was forced to taste bitter memories again.

Issei was quite surprised with the way the girl was acting. She didn't speak like this very often, if at all.

"When I joined Vali's team, I felt like I belonged somewhere. He gave me a place to stay and he became one of the people that I could actually call friends. Everyone on that team, are all important to me. When I came here, I learned about how fun it was here. I finally learned why Shirone was able to smile so brightly again. The longer I stayed here with Lefay, the more I wanted to stay here." Kuroka steeled her nerves to speak this next part.

"So, I wanted to ask a favor." Kuroka made a naughty look on her face.

Issei, knew exactly where she was going with this but he was wrong.

"I want to hang out with you today and learn why Shirone has been so bright lately. Her tone changed and she was more energetic."

Issei instantly froze on the spot. He could not tell her that it was due to the Personality Ray that Koneko behaved so differently. Kuroka just might kill him.

Issei didn't have much of a reason to say no to her so he agreed. Thanks to Dulio, the weather had warmed up very quickly since he had brought Spring to Japan.

He remembered in a pamphlet from somewhere that there was going to be a festival in town. Issei guessed that was a good place to take her since it might be fun and he had wanted to go there too.

"Alright." Issei responded without hesitation.

Kuroka was quite surprised when he replied so readily. Normally, she thought that he'd act like some innocent boy for his age but now…he seemed so much more reliable and confident. Kuroka was tempted to lick him again to look at his status. ( _ **I'll leave that up for you to imagine.**_ )

"We'll meet up tonight at 6:00 pm. Oh, and don't show your ears or tail. Just look like a normal girl so that you don't stand out." Issei didn't want to cause a large ruckus by showing a catgirl around, who happened to have real cat ears and a real tail.

Kuroka smirked when she wondered what he had in store for her. This should be interesting.

"Okay, then. Call me when you're ready." Kuroka turned around with a small twirl that gave Issei a good look at her bouncing chest.

A faint streak of scarlet lit up on Issei's cheeks as she had caught him off guard.

' _ **Strange.**_ ' Draig commented at what was happening.

' _What is?_ ' Issei realized that there were too many strange things within the past year.

' _ **Normally, you'd shoot off into a daydream and start drooling while thinking about a girl's boobs. Now…you're much more tame and you don't ogle every single pretty girl anymore. That's good. A king should have some restraint to them. Especially if they have wives**_.' Draig had seen his hosts come and go and he thought it was good that Issei's libido was maturing. Back then, he'd just pounce at chances to use [Dress Break].

' _Huh. I guess you're right, Draig_.' Issei was alarmed at how much he had changed too. Funny thing was, he didn't seem to care.

* * *

With that matter settled, Issei left to go make some preparations before the festival. He told the others about the festival and they all agreed to go, but Akeno and Rias were a bit wary of Kuroka. It didn't seem like they had complete trust in her yet.

Kuroka didn't seem to mind though. It was only to be expected since they were former adversaries.

When Kuroka went into her room, she had immediately shut the door behind her. She cupped her face in disbelief as she shook her head to try and get rid of the heat in her face.

"What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be acting like this!" Kuroka couldn't believe that she was falling for Issei. She was falling hard and fast, at that.

"To think he used to be such a weak and no-bite brat a year ago. He's gotten so strong that it really attracts me now. Not even Vali had me feeling this way, though." Kuroka mulled over her relationships to the Two Heavenly Dragon Emperors.

While Vali had indeed saved her from loneliness and prosecution from all sides, she didn't view him in a romantic light. A slight crush might have been there, yes, but it wasn't there anymore. When he rejected her advances, it was clear to her that she didn't really feel sad or disappointed. ( _ **Even though there's so much possible chemistry there.**_ )

In fact, she felt a little…relieved. She realized that having a family wasn't exactly something that Vali would be comfortable with, given his past. She was sure that he would be different from his grandfather, Rizevim, that much was assured.

However, when she thought about Issei, her heart decided to do some exercises and her stomach would do jumping jacks. She wondered why, at the beginning. Now she knew. She was attracted to his kindness. He didn't persecute her for her crimes of killing her master but rather because she targeted Koneko. He didn't care about why she became a Stray Devil, he only cared about how she had tried to use force to take away his precious junior.

Issei was true to his own heart and he fought tooth and nail for others. He had a true heroic heart. When she and Lefay came to stay, he did seem hesitant but he never lashed out or mistreated the 2 of them. His kindness was just that appealing to her.

Seeing as how she found out why Koneko had changed, Kuroka pretty much felt lost at that point. What the heck was she supposed to do now? She had solved her own question! That just destroyed the whole purpose of the evening!

Kuroka sighed to herself and decided that she'd just go to wherever Issei took her anyways.

Actually, when she thought about it, what about the matter of offspring?

Originally, she only wanted genes of a strong dragon but what about now? Was she still in this to have children or was she in this to try and catch the Sekiryuutei's heart?

Great! Now she had a new question to solve!

Kuroka felt so disoriented and confused now. Her head was spinning with so many questions now, that it would be best for her to put things aside.

Suddenly, she remembered that she had to have a human appearance before she went out. She rose out of her bed and walked to a hanging mirror in the room. She retracted her black cat ears, and her black tail. She now looked as if she were just a normal girl. ( _ **I'm having a really hard time imagining her without her ears and tails.**_ )

Now that she thought about it, she actually looked pretty normal.

Just when she thought about how she should change her wardrobe a little, she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to reveal Ravel. In her arms, she carried a red kimono with gold hems, and purple flower petal designs.

"Issei-sama said that he wanted to make sure you got to wear new clothes. He said that you don't get to go out often so he handpicked these for you." Ravel's tone was polite but cautious.

At first, Kuroka believed that it was because she was formerly in the Khaos Brigade, but that wasn't the case. Ravel was a phenex, a bird, and Kuroka was a cat. Certain cats eat birds. Nuff said.

"It is 5:00. You may want to tidy up before leaving. Also, nobody may say this but…you are a part of the house now so don't behave uncouthly when going out." Ravel was surprisingly warm with her words, even if what she said herself didn't seem so.

Kuroka was caught completely off-guard but she smiled softly when the warm feeling of being home surged through her again. It was such a nice feeling for her.

She took a bath, combed her hair, and even sprayed on some perfume that was provided for her. When she was done, she felt as if she was being a girly-girl. She wasn't one to accessorize since she had never felt much need to. Now, she had a shot at being like a regular woman. If she hadn't meet Vali and Issei, she may have never had the chance to do this.

* * *

When she traveled down the steps to the Living Room, she found that all of the other women in Issei's harem was there, plus Lefay.

Everybody was dressed up in different kimonos that went well with their various looks and characters.

Gabriel wearing a gold kimono with white flowers and a white obi sash.

Akeno was wearing a purple kimono with floral lotus patterns on it.

Rias wore a black kimono with red lines and swirls decorating it.

Asia wore a green kimono with a red sash, and had purple flowers designed onto it.

Koneko wore a white kimono with a gold sash and cherry blossom designs.

Irina had a pink kimono with white feathers beautifully embroidered on them. A white sash had also been wrapped around her.

Xenovia wore a dark blue kimono with a gold sash and there were several swirls and wavy lines on her robes.

Ravel had a red kimono with a dark purple sash and elegant fiery flower patterns on them.

Rossweisse wore a light purple kimono with several dark blue flower patterns dotting her robes.

Lefay wore a light-blue kimono with cherry blossom embroideries scattered around on her clothes.

Issei came down after changing into black shorts and a red t-shirt.

All of the women noticed that his figure had become very muscular from all of the training and fights that he had been in since he had entered the supernatural world.

"Everybody ready?" Issei looked around and received nods from everyone else.

After locking up the house and making necessary precautions, the group of 12 left for their destination. Not too long after, Kiba, Tosca, Gasper, and Valerie met up with them. Kiba was wearing a Men's dark blue kimono, while the other 3 had Women's kimono on.

Tosca had a dark navy kimono with a white sash.

Valerie had a black kimono with red flowers and Gasper wore a purple kimono with golden flowers. Both had purple sashes on.

"Looks like we're all here." Issei announced after doing a head count.

Without further ado, the 16 of them secretly traveled to a secluded location to jump to the festival through a magic circle.

* * *

In a flash of light, the group was transported to the festival grounds. Lanterns, stalls, chatter, and the smell of food filled the air.

Within an instant, everyone split off into their own groups to pursue their own activities.

* * *

Akeno, Rias, Rossweisse, and Gabriel went off to go shop around the several stalls that were selling items.

* * *

The Church Trio were out exploring the festival to better learn Japanese culture, with Irina as their guide.

"Self-Proclaiming Tour Guide." Xenovia taunted her, which Irina didn't take kindly too.

"Self-Proclaiming Student Council President." Irina shot back, which sparked another argument session.

Asia merely stood on the sidelines as she took in the sights.

* * *

Koneko, Ravel, and Lefay went off to go and play around at the many traditional, yet fun little games that were being offered.

As expected, Koneko dominated most of the games with little-to-no-difficulty. Ravel, however, had some trouble.

"Here. You do it like this. Make sure you're steady but not rushed." Koneko was instructing her on how to win at the game.

After Issei's supposed death, the 2 had gotten along much better than before. They didn't argue much anymore, unless one of them took offense to a joke.

* * *

Kiba ventured away with Tosca, so Issei knew something was going to happen. He hoped that Tsubaki would take things in a stable way, if Issei's suspicions were right.

* * *

Valerie dragged Gapser off into a crowd, with the intent of curing him of his fear of crowds, permanently. This time, he had no paper bag or cardboard box to save him.

"Senpai! Help me!" Gasper reached out to anybody he knew but it was futile.

Issei merely turned around and ignored him.

"I'm sorry, Gasper, but you must become stronger." Issei silently hoped that his junior would overcome this ordeal.

* * *

Out of the 16 that came, only Issei and Kuroka were left. Kuroka was shifting around shyly, something that Issei considered completely out of character for her.

Then, Issei noticed why Kuroka was shifting around in such a fashion. He had been staring at how beautiful she looked in her kimono.

"Do I look strange or something?" Kuroka's tone was soft and small, as if she wasn't used to this kind of thing.

To be honest, Kuroka had received lecherous stares from a lot of people before but this was different. She was receiving a curious and entranced stare from somebody that she liked.

Issei shook himself out of his stupor and shook his head in disagreement.

"No, I actually think you look really beautiful in that Kimono. It looks really nice on you." Issei had reverted to his old timid nature a bit, the nature that came out whenever he got intimate or close with a girl.

Kuroka blushed madly when he wholeheartedly complimented her.

"I-I see. Thank you." Kuroka turned away to hide her blush, much to her own embarrassment.

"D-don't mention it." Issei sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as the two walked to the main festival area.

Issei's head had questions swimming around in it. This was odd. Why was he getting all shy about Kuroka? It might have had to do with her acting differently.

"Anyways. I'm thinking about going around to explore. Do you want to come?" Issei wanted to help ease her into the rest of Team DxD. While everyone in Team DxD got along, there was tension between the Vali Team and all of the other groups. It was reasonable to an extent, since they were formerly a part of the Khaos Brigade.

Still, Issei considered them allies now and even friends. And he liked helping his friends.

Kuroka nodded vigorously as she linked arms with Issei without a moment's hesitation.

At first, he was taken aback at the sudden gesture, but Issei couldn't help but smile. There was something about her that just seemed like Koneko. It wasn't that they were sisters or nekoshou, but rather because they had the same smile.

"Alright. Let's go see what's being sold first." Issei took the lead as he gently lead her around.

The massive assortment of shops was amazing.

Issei didn't think that this festival had ever been this big before.

As he looked out of the corner of his eye, he saw somebody…Sirzechs! And Grayfia too! And even Millicas!

Sirzechs was wearing a red Men's kimono while Grayfia wore a red and black one with a flowery pattern on it. Millicas was wearing a simple black shirt with white shorts.

' _What are the Maou and his family doing here?! Oh…wait, they're on vacation._ ' Issei remembered that the leaders of the 3 Great Factions had a week off.

Issei gazed at the 3 and noticed how Sirzechs had his son sitting on his back, with Grayfia holding hands with her husband. It was a truly lovely sight. One that Issei hoped to be able to have one day.

Kuroka looked where he was looking and understood why Issei had such a dreamy look.

"Hoping to be like them one day?" Kuroka shifted a little closer to him.

Issei couldn't help but nod. One day, when the fighting was over, he wanted to put time into making his harem a family. A happy and loving one without question.

Kuroka decided not to spoil the mood by trying to get seductive with him. Even she had manners, contrary to her many acts.

"What about you? What are your plans after we beat Rizevim?" Issei was curious as to what was going to happen to the Vali Team. Would they continue to travel around in search of strong people to fight? Or would they go after their own dreams?

Kuroka hadn't really thought about it much. To be honest, she really liked the Hyoudou Household, so she might try to extend her stay there.

"Well, I'm not sure. I haven't thought about it much yet. I don't really have anywhere to go, to be honest. I really just traveled around with Vali because he helped save me."

This really made Issei wonder whether Kuroka had feelings for Vali. She seemed so fond of him. This was something that Issei would need to talk about with him later.

Before the conversation could continue, Kuroka seemed to drift into the crowd, with Issei almost losing sight of her. He managed to grab a hand and pulled it, finding Kuroka again. She looked at him in surprise after snapping out of her daze.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to do that." Kuroka sounded sullen.

Seeing a bench not too far away, Issei dragged her over and sat her down.

* * *

"Okay, let's talk. What happened back there?" Issei didn't know why she did that, exactly, but he knew it had to do with family.

Kuroka looked away for a split second before spilling the beans.

"Well, you know how Shirone and I were both orphans, right?"

Issei nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"Then you also know that we were picked up by a Devil, who made me a bishop. When I killed him, and ran off, I left behind Shirone. I didn't want her to get caught up in the chaos and suffering and yet, I left her to suffer loneliness all alone." Kuroka looked teary-eyed when her brain mulled over what she was currently thinking.

"I've noticed that I became like my parents. I left my little sister behind. My only family. I deserted her, when she needed me." Kuroka's voice shook and cracked. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she lost her composure.

"I've been talking about wanting offspring, but I ended up doing what my parents did. I abandoned my family. Who's to say I won't do it again when things get too scary? At first, I wanted to keep my species alive but secretly…" Kuroka started to heave as her insecurities and fears came flooding out from the safe walls that she had kept them behind.

"Secretly, I'm scared and I don't want to have children because I'm afraid that I'll abandon my own children!" Kuroka covered her face with her hands. She sobbed and cried silently to herself, while Issei looked at her sadly.

"When I looked at the Maou and his family, I thought "They look so happy. I wonder if I can have that too."" Kuroka didn't look up even once, but Issei was sure she had an utter look of despair.

"Then I thought about what I've done in the past. I don't deserve a family. I was so glad that Shirone got a family who loved her but me…I don't deserve one after all I've done! I think…I'll just die alone." Kuroka was about to give into her thoughts until she felt 2 strong and warm arms wrap around her.

She looked up, and saw Issei smiling softly back at her.

"I can't say that I know how you fell but I do know, that you deserve a family." Issei decided to console her since he couldn't just let a woman cry herself into depression.

"You did what you had to for Koneko-chan. You protected her from being abused and you left so that she wouldn't get caught up in trouble, remember? You're different from your parents, and who knows? Your parents may have been trying to protect you too. I know that you care about Koneko since you wouldn't have tried to talk to her at all if you didn't care." Issei's words rang in her head and started to chip away at her despairing thoughts.

"Koneko still loves you but time and events have just made it a little difficult for you to talk. I think that you are a really attractive woman. You're beautiful, strong, and a little naughty but that makes you kind of unique. I think that if you tried to get in a serious relationship, you'd make a wonderful mother." Issei wasn't sure about the outcome of his words, but he figured that he'd be honest.

When he was done, he smiled so brightly, that Kuroka had now made a realization. She was in love with Issei, without question.

Issei didn't notice this however, so he just went about things normally.

"C'mon. Let's go have some fun. I'm sure after all those years of running and solitude, you haven't had much time to have some real fun. And not battle fun." Issei took hold of her hand, subconsciously, and led her back to the main festival.

* * *

He took her browsing for things that looked interesting, Kuroka took her time to look around at the several merchants that had shown up. There were little bracelets and necklaces of emeralds, rubies, and finely shaped stones.

Kuroka particularly liked a silk ribbon that was red and had black swirls designed onto it.

Without the need for words, Issei paid for it, having known that Kuroka had been looking at it with great interest.

He had it boxed and bagged before giving it to Kuroka, who bashfully took it with care. She held it against her heart as she smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Sekiryuutei." Kuroka was touched that he would buy her something that costed 11,000 yen.

"Call me Issei. All of my friends call me that." Issei added to her embarrassment when he made it clear that he considered her a friend.

Kuroka opened the box and used it to style the side of her hair a bit, showing off the ribbon.

"It suits you. I think you look cuter." Issei blurted out…again.

Kuroka got caught off guard completely. She's been called beautiful, but never cute.

"W-What are you saying? C-cute?" Kuroka started to poke her fingers together in bashful glee.

"Yep. Come on." On that note, Issei dragged Kuroka around once again to explore once more.

* * *

They went to go play some games of festival tradition. Kuroka pretty much topped anyone who wanted to play ring tossing and it seemed as if she was having pure hearted joy.

' _Mission accomplished._ ' Issei mentally checked off one thing on his list of things to do. He aimed to help her have some fun and then to get her and Koneko to completely make up.

Issei looked around and spotted her by the food area, munching on a heap of snacks and fried foods.

Kuroka was still gazing around at the different prizes that she hadn't won yet.

He needed to make the sisters go to each other.

"Hey, Kuroka. I'm getting pretty hungry. How about we get something to eat?" Issei pointed at the food stands as he slowly walked over there, making Kuroka follow suit.

"Sure." She replied in a passive tone. She still wanted to play and shop around more but it could wait. If Issei was hungry, she would make it a priority to make sure he didn't stay hungry.

As they got to the yakisoba, Issei pretended to suddenly spot Koneko.

"Ah, Koneko-chan!" Issei waved at said junior, who looked at him cutely before she bit into her candied apple.

When the young girl saw her older sister coming, she seemed a little defensive, or rather, awkward. That had been happening a lot since the 2 reunited.

"How's the food? Any good places?" Issei looked around in mock interest.

"All of the places are great this year. The yakisoba is the best, though." Koneko gave careful advice, to which Issei was grateful for, since the yakisoba had a line and was a certain distance away from them.

"Okay, thanks. Hey, Kuroka, can you stay here for me? I'll go and get the food. It's my treat." Issei walked away at an alarming speed as he sped away.

* * *

This left Kuroka to awkwardly remain with Koneko, Ravel, and Lefay.

With the memory of her pouring her feelings out to Issei about Koneko, Kuroka felt a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. She honestly wanted to have the old sibling relationship that they used to have but she didn't know how to get down to the main issue.

"Nee-sama. What did you do with Issei-senpai?" Koneko sounded as if she already knew what happened but she wanted to confirm events for herself.

Kuroka was surprised that she had already caught wind of suspicion.

"We didn't do anything. Nyah." Kuroka muttered calmly.

Normally, Kuroka's tone was more playful and mischievous. That was not the case this time.

Koneko narrowed her eyebrows, making her older sister uneasy.

"Nee-sama. Let's go talk somewhere private." Koneko, in her white and red-flowered kimono, led the way to a secluded part of the forest nearby.

When both sisters found a nice and quiet spot, Koneko turned around to look at Kuroka. Her gaze wasn't accusational but it was more along the lines of curiosity.

"Nee-sama. I want to know what it was that Issei-senpai talked to you about. Please." Koneko knew something had gone down and there was also the fact that she wanted to reconnect with her sister.

Then, there was the fact that Issei had whispered something to her before he left to go get food.

' _Kuroka wants to say something to you. It's really important too. She's just being nervous about it. Can you hear her out, Koneko-chan? For me? Please?'_ Issei had appealed to her, which was something Koneko couldn't say no to.

Kuroka was pretty sure that Issei had set things up, since that was the only way Koneko would pursue her with questions so eagerly.

"Shirone, are you happy…with where you are now?" Kuroka was so unsure of what was going to happen but she had to stop trying to go around this.

Koneko nodded without any hesitation or pause. It was without question that she considered everyone in the Hyoudou home, extended family.

"Do you consider them family?"

Koneko replied with a silent nod again.

"Do…do you still think of me as family?" Kuroka braced herself for whatever may come next.

Koneko stopped munching on her food and set it down.

"If I didn't consider Kuroka-nee-sama my older sister, I wouldn't call her nee-sama."

Kuroka was rejoiced at what she heard but Koneko wasn't done.

"Nee-sama left me for years and I was alone, with nobody there for me. That made me mad at Nee-sama. Why did you leave me? I got so bitter and sad that I stopped caring. But still, Nee-sama did all of that to protect me. Nee-sama killed our old master so he wouldn't abuse me. Nee-sama ran away so that I wouldn't get in trouble too. At first, I blamed Nee-sama for the bad things in my life but I was wrong. I was scared that Nee-sama might run away again and abandon me if I connected with her again." Koneko's eyes started to well up with tears as the sheer magnitude of the situation was forcing them to let out repressed emotions.

"I still love my sister. I want to be like how we used to be, Kuroka-nee-sama." Koneko and Kuroka looked at each other, both with tears in their eyes as they finally understood that both still cared for each other.

"Shirone."

"Kuroka-nee-sama."

The sisters hugged and cried as they melted the ice between them. In the place of cold distance, the two of them had finally reforged their iron bonds.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you, Shirone." Kuroka sobbed as she held her precious little sister, her only family, close to herself.

* * *

In the distance, Issei smiled as he watched the touching spectacle in front of him.

He had wanted to the 2 of them to reconnect as siblings, since he knew that both of them desired to do so. But neither was willing to make the first move, in fear of awkwardness and a second separation.

Walking away to give them privacy, Issei wandered around without an aim, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around and found a smiling Kuroka.

"Hey, I went looking for you. Here." Issei handed her a skewered yakitori.

Kuroka took it gratefully as she walked next to him.

"Where'd you and Koneko go?" Issei was playing dumb, which wasn't too hard, given his former oblivious nature.

"We talked about certain things. Everything's great now." Kuroka sounded so cheerful that Issei was happy that his plan worked. Little did he know, Kuroka was about to put his train on a set of new tracks.

"Anyways, let's keep having fun, Issei. Tonight's the last night of the festival and you promised me a good time!" Kuroka dragged Issei's hand with her as Issei struggled to follow behind.

"I did?" Issei didn't exactly remember when he said that but he guessed it was implied.

"C'mon!" Kuroka giggled as the happiness in her heart had overwritten everything else on her mind.

Issei merely smiled as Kuroka stopped at a shooting range.

"Let's play this. Loser pays." Kuroka grabbed a toy rifle and handed one to Issei, who took it energetically.

"Alright. You're on."

The two took aim and played 3 rounds before Issei lost terribly. Kuroka won a stuffed dragon after having gathered enough wins.

"Too bad. I thought you were a better shot than that, Issei-kun." Kuroka taunted Issei, who refused to accept defeat.

"C'mon. I'll show you what I'm made of!" Issei fell into the pace of the moment and took her around to play several other games.

He took her to a goldfish scooping game and won several times. Kuroka, however, seemed a bit frustrated by how hard it was to get a fish with a paper scoop. She had been eyeing a fantail goldfish but she just couldn't get it.

Her eyebrows were arched and she had puffed pouting cheeks that just made Issei think that she was too cute to let her stay that way.

Buying another scoop, Issei masterfully won the fantail goldfish in a skilled movement.

"Wow!" Kuroka was amazed that he had won it when she had so much trouble with it. And she was part cat.

Bagging it, Issei handed the fish to her.

"It's for me?" Kuroka thought that he would've kept it for herself.

"Yep."

Kuroka blushed and took it gingerly. A small smile formed on her lips as she continued to go around with Issei, who was helping her make up for the lost time that she had never been able to recover until now.

* * *

When they had finished their rounds, Issei felt a tap on his shoulder

He turned around and was met by a soft warm kiss from a black-haired Nekoshou beauty.

Kuroka's lips had connected with Issei's and it was passionate and strong. It felt unique, like how the kisses between him and all of the other girls were different.

When Kuroka parted mouths, she licked her lips seductively but gave Issei a heartwarming and grateful smile.

"Thank you, Issei. Because of you, I'm finally sisters with Shirone again." Kuroka looked so happy, that Issei felt like she had evolved into a new person.

Issei merely nodded awkwardly in a crooked manner. He was still blushing from the sudden kiss so his composure was in pieces.

Kuroka steeled her nerves as Koneko watched from a distance. Kuroka looked away, shyly staring at her sister for advice.

Koneko merely shooted nods shooed her hadn forward, as if beckoning her to continue.

"Also…I…I l-l-laaah" Kuroka was just dying to say something but she was so embarrassed to say anything.

When did she become like this?

"I love you." Kuroka muttered, barely audible but just enough for Issei to hear her.

"Eh?" Issei blinked once then twice.

"Eh?" Issei still tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Was she seducing him again.

"EHHH!" Issei exclaimed but covered his mouth before everybody could start staring at him like he was a crazy clown.

"Th-that's so sudden!" Issei was truly stunned.

Unlike, Gabriel, he hadn't achieved love at first sight with her. But still, he couldn't deny that he felt attraction towards her.

"I just wanted you to know how I feel about you now. You don't have to give me an answer right away, but please…think about it. I'll wait for your answer so take all the time you need, Issei-kun." Kuroka immediately turned around with a mischievous smile and blush and left with Koneko.

Issei was at a crossroad. How was he going to handle this? He never expected this! He thought she liked Vali.

' _ **Well…that escalated quickly.**_ ' Draig commented lightly.

' _For real._ ' Issei needed to sit down.

He turned around and nearly bumped into Gabriel, who was with Rias, Akeno, and Rosweisse. ( _ **My favorite girls in the harem.**_ )

"Whoa!"

"Sorry!"

"Are you by yourself, Issei?" Gabriel looked at him, feeling slightly concerned about him since he looked confused.

"Yeah." Issei regained his calm and replied accordingly.

"I see. Well then, we want to spend time with you so let's go!" Gabriel linked an arm around Issei's left limb while Rias took the other. Akeno cupped a cheek as she stared at what was happening.

"Ara ara. Ufufu. Looks like the adultery is escalating." Akeno licked her lips as she followed suit with the 3 in front of her.

Throughout the night at the festival, Issei thought one thing to himself.

"Things are far from over." He groaned but on his face was a joyous smile.

A sure sign that good things were coming.

* * *

When everyone returned home, Issei immediately went to bed, followed by everyone in his harem, who had all snuck onto his mattress, with Kuroka included.

Having fallen into a dream, Issei had dreamt himself waking up in bed but he noticed that something was different.

* * *

Issei looked at his left hand and saw 5 wedding rings there. He had a black onyx ring with a crimson ruby jewel embedded into it. It had red swirls and intertwining lines running along the band. This ring had **Rias's** name engraved onto it in red letters and it was placed on his left ring finger.

This red ring would show his counterpart and romantic partner and would forever bond him to his master and savior.

* * *

On his left middle finger was a black and gold ring. The band was black and had golden-yellow zig-zags running across it. The gem on the ring was amber and diamond-shaped. The band had the name **Akeno** forged on it.

This gold and black ring would remind him of the powerful presence that he would mean to the woman wearing the other ring matching this one.

* * *

His left index finger had a white ring with a green emerald placed into it. There were golden little gems melded around the ring and the name **Asia** was carved into it.

In hopes of keeping him safe, this ring would be a way for Asia to always heal her loving future-husband.

* * *

His left pinky had a pure white band with a light blue aquamarine jewel on it. The middle of the ring had a light blue line running around the ring. Inscribed into the ring was **Koneko**.

Small hollow circles of light-blue color also traced the band that told of the nature of the beloved linked to him by this ring.

* * *

On his left thumb, was a silver metal ring with an onyx jewel embedded into it. There were purple lines and decorations on it and the name **Kuroka** was placed into it.

This black ring would tell others that the woman wearing the other ring was under his protection and had his love.

* * *

Issei looked at his right hand and saw a golden ring on his right thumb. A shining sapphire jewel was placed on the ring with **Xenovia** 's name being written on it in deep blue letters.

The band had small swords carved into it to represent who it was that the ring was connecting him to.

* * *

On his right index finger was a golden band with a milky white diamond. **Irina** 's name was marked across the band in white letters and halos.

With this band, his childhood friend would become one of his wives and lovers.

* * *

His right middle finger bore a silver ring with blue lines running across it with a silver diamond infused into the ring. The name **Rossweisse** was on it.

As a symbol of his vow to protect her, this ring would always serve as a reminder of that promise.

* * *

On his pinky, was a gold ring with an orange gem on it. The band had flame marks designed on it and the name on this particular ring was **Ravel**.

With this ring, his manager would become one of Issei's wives and his eternal manager.

* * *

Lastly, there was a tenth ring. It was a wedding ring and yet it was placed on his right ring finger. It was a silver and white ring. A crystal diamond shone on the ring and was studded with white gems across the ring with small carvings of white feathers etched into it. On this ring was the name **Gabriel**.

This ring would always protect him and help him find his way to Gabriel, his saving grace.

In this dream, everything was clear. The harem was complete. All that mattered now…was to strengthen its bonds with the core member: Hyoudou Issei.

* * *

 _ **I realized that this chapter needed more stuff for Kuroka and Issei but I still need to set up for future chapters and I want to save some events and dialogue so I hope that you readers will still stick with me to the end of this story. I am so rejoiced that people like this story. This story has hit 110 follows with 90 favs! I never expected to see these numbers! Thank you all for all of the support and know that I will continue to try my best! Till next time!**_


	17. Chapter 13: Confessions

_**First, I want to apologize for making all of you readers wait for 4 months. I know that it's been so long and I can't apologize enough but I had school to attend to and Finals to pass. I also had writer's block ever since I wrote Chapter 12 and parts of this chapter too. I couldn't balance writing with work either.**_

 _ **Second, I've also written other story's so if you're interested, you can check them out through my profile if you haven't already.**_

 _ **While I hadn't worked on this story, I had gotten started on 3 others because I just absolutely had to get the ideas for them out of my head. Again, sorry for making you all wait for so long. I still stick with what I said, though. I'm going to finish this story but I make no promises on the update schedule.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Confessions**

The next day, Issei awoke to find himself to have shot out of bed.

He looked at both of his hands and found no rings on them, but he did find all of the women of his harem in his bed with him…as usual.

Issei scratched the back of his head in confusion and anxiety.

' _What was with that dream? Does that dream mean I get married to each of the girls?_ ' Issei raised several questions and Draig provided him with an answer.

' _ **That's correct, Partner. With all of my hosts in the past, they've all had dreams like yours when they've created a group of lovers for themselves. That is…the ones who didn't die early deaths like with Juggernaut Drive. Still, you better think of something good and think of it carefully. Remember, there's the problem with Rizevim and the Evil Dragons, so don't get too carried away with that dream of yours.**_ ' Draig worried that Issei would make a mistake and fall back into delusions and perversion again but only fate would decide what would happen.

Issei glanced at the clock and realized that only two days had passed since school had to be closed. That meant there were 12 days left for him to play around with.

Suddenly, he felt 2 arms pull him down. He looked and found Rias and Rossweisse laying onto the mattress so that they could cuddle him.

"Going to sleep and waking up like this. It's a blessed dream." Issei shed manly tears as his dream of becoming Harem King was becoming much closer to fruition.

"Morning, Issei." Rias spoke sweetly to him as she gave him a kiss on the lips. It was short but sweet and it made Issei's head blow up from the powerful emotion placed into it.

"Nyaah. Morning." Kuroka took hold of Issei's cheeks and crashed her mouth onto his in a lustful but loving manner.

"Mgghhh!" Issei couldn't breathe at all since he felt a weight on his chest.

He looked down and saw Koneko cutely curled up on his torso.

"Morning, Issei-senpai. Itadakimasu." Koneko took her chance and swooped in for a kiss that Issei could've sworn would destroy a lolicon.

"M-Morning." Issei had been caught off-guard by the loving and surprisingly passionate morning.

' _Draig? Did something happen in my sleep?_ ' Issei asked his dragon companion.

' _ **Well, to my knowledge…nothing. I guess this is just a timely thing. At least nobody is throwing attacks around**._ ' Draig commented, to which Issei agreed was a good thing.

He looked at the clock and was happy to know that he had much more time to spend with his beloved future-wives.

Washing and eating breakfast, Issei decided that he'd go and take a walk around Kuoh.

"I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back later. I want to spend some time to myself." Issei spoke softly but brightly to Rias, who nodded in response.

"Okay, take care." She smiled sweetly as she saw him off.

* * *

As soon as he walked out the door, Issei's mind drifted to the past few months, back to when the whole fiasco with the Personality Ray first began. He realized that everyone had changed due to Azazel's invention. He wasn't talking about the artificial personality changes either. He was talking about their growth in mentality.

Rias had become much more flexible about who came to the harem and she didn't seem be as possessive of him anymore. Originally, she didn't like it at all when she knew that other girls were trying to make moves on him. Now, she didn't mind as long as permission was obtained from her and if the person was genuinely in love with him.

Akeno was no longer obsessed with having an affair with him and merely wanted to be close to him and she loved it when he spoiled her and he liked doing it to her. Her bitterness about her past had also completely disappeared and she focused on trying to remain close to Issei. However, he was glad that her teasing nature hadn't left.

Asia was less clingy to him and didn't try to get in on everything that was occurring anymore. Back then, she would try to get involved in everything, like when she would always dive into bed with him when she knew that the other women were trying to seduce him.

Koneko's tone and voice pitch had gone back to normal but she was more energetic now. She smiled so much more and her conversations with her sister were far happier and enthusiastic. They would hang out and spend time together whenever they were done with their individual activities.

Irina's new daring conviction made it clear to Issei just how strongly she felt about him but Issei was glad that she didn't change much. She was always warm and friendly, making it easy for her to get along with many quite easily. He looked forward to a future with her in it.

Xenovia was probably the most radical in change. She was less blunt and a little more cooperative in ideas. Issei actually accredited this change to her desire to become a leader. Perhaps the best thing about this was that she didn't suggest "practice" at every chance. She actually wanted to take things slowly now, which was a good thing to Issei, though the old him would've flown off into his own fantasy land at any moment.

Ravel remained the same but she dropped the "-sama" suffix. She wasn't so…tsundere about certain things except for when she got embarrassed. If anything, this made her even cuter to him.

Rossweisse wasn't so teacher-like anymore and had become less strict. She now made sure to watch over everyone's well-beings directly, rather than showing how much she cared through lecture. Issei noticed that he had been falling harder for her when she showed how affectionate and motherly she could really be.

Gabriel's radiant personality was something that Issei had never knew too well at the beginning. He originally knew that she was a bit oblivious to certain matters but was very gentle and forgiving. Over the past few days, he had laid witness to the fact that she had become a bit naughtier towards him, making suggestive remarks that gave him nosebleeds and altogether, sent his head and heart on a race.

Still, one thought worried him. Kuroka. Issei didn't' know how he exactly felt about her but him dreaming about marrying her in the future had made it clear to him that he felt something for her. If he didn't, it would've been impossible for him to ever subconsciously fabricate the idea of him marrying her. The last time he had a marriage dream was when it was about Rias, whom he had fallen in love with.

When Issei looked up, he found that he had passed by the Kuoh School Building. It was absolutely trashed. The roofs of the building had been completely torn off and all of the windows had been shattered. Pieces and large portions of the building were reduced to rubble and the track and fields looked like they had been dug up and picked at by shovels and jackhammers.

"That Dulio. He sure didn't hold back with this school." Issei did a sweat-drop and continued on his path around his home.

He looked around and noticed that no matter how chaotic things got around here, Kuoh remained untouched, for the most part. The closest the place had actually gotten to being destroyed was during the battle with Kokabiel.

Taking a moment to exhale in relief, Issei was happy to know that the hard work that the efforts of Team DxD weren't pointless. They had risked life and limb to protect the delicate peace of the Human World, along with the other realms of existence.

Everyone had surely come a long way but Team DxD and the Three-Faction Alliance weren't done yet. Something big was coming and Issei wasn't sure what could possibly happen. Whatever the case, he would stand strong and ready no matter what, in order to protect his beloved friends and family.

* * *

After finishing his walk, Issei returned to his home. Unlike any other day, he decided to look at his mansion in detail. It was unrealistic, compared to how it used to be. It was now multiple stories tall and had several surprises installed. He remembered how he used to imagine himself having a home like this when he became Harem King.

Issei laughed to himself. He had become so close to achieving his old dream but it had become a mere trifle compared to his new dream. His entire walk, he thought about his reasons for fighting. At first, he wanted to become a High-Ranking Devil so that he could become a Harem King but it transitioned to fighting for Rias and becoming the Ultimate Pawn. He still hung onto his second dream but he now had a newer version of it.

Issei wanted to become the Ultimate Pawn that would turn into a King that would protect those dear to him.

With renewed strength and determination, Issei walked into his home and was greeted very warmly.

"Welcome home, Issei." Every single girl of his harem smiled brightly and lovingly at him.

Something warm and powerful spread throughout his body, forcing Issei to smile wholeheartedly.

"I'm back." Issei was greeted by hugs and kisses before everyone continued into the house in order to share more time together.

While everyone was watching a movie in the Main Living Room, a magic circle appeared and Azazel materialized into the room.

"Sensei?! What are you doing here?!" Issei looked at him in surprise and was met with a serious but nervous look.

"Perfect timing! I wanted to ask a favor of you all!" Without interruption and further questioning, Azazel brought out a radar and scanned everyone in the room.

Issei instantly knew what was happening and he dashed to Azazel's side.

"Sensei, is this about the Personality Ray?" Issei whispered so only he and his teacher could hear.

"Yeah. We need to talk." Azazel and Issei walked over to a private room in the Manor with great urgency, much to everyone else's confusion.

Closing the door behind them, Issei started to break out into cold sweat.

"Sensei…please tell me I'm just freaking out over nothing." Issei pleaded on his knees but he was going to have no saving grace.

Azazel sunk his head.

"I'm sorry, my student. It seems that the potion that I made was only a temporary fix. It only suppressed the effects of the Personality Ray. Right now, they're all being normal, so there's still time to find a permanent solution." Immediately after speaking, Azazel turned to his apprentice.

"I think that secretly, the girls are still worried about their places. It's only natural, of course, whether they've noticed or not. You have 10 women living under the same roof and are in love with you. They're probably freaking out about the future."

Realization hit Issei in the gut as a flood of new thoughts came into his mind.

"For example, what if you have children with each of them? How would the children feel? What would they grow up to be like? There's also the matter about dividing time amongst themselves, concerning you." Azazel spoke grimly.

A knife twisted itself in Issei's heart when he noticed that he had neglected the many worries of his harem...again.

' _What have I done? I claim to love all of them but I haven't even settled their worries in the slightest. I'M BACK TO SQUARE ONE!'_ Issei grew angry at himself as he tried to think of ways to remedy the situation.

"I was doing tests on the Personality Ray and I noticed that it has a very persistent effect on those ailing from it. At this point, it's generated powers and changes that even I don't fully understand anymore. I originally developed it out of interest but this time, I've really messed up. I'm sorry, Issei." Azazel bowed and utter regret at causing such a dilemma for his student, even if it was bound to happen anyway.

Issei shook his head, surprising Azazel.

"No, it's only natural Sensei. I wanted to be Harem King and now I practically am one. Now I need to prove that I can be capable of remaining one." Issei declared boldly. He didn't know how he would do it, but he swore that he wouldn't let the women in his life agonize over the future.

Azazel really was proud of his student. He had come a long way. What was once a timid and scared boy, had become a strong and worthy man.

Without further ado, Azazel left, leaving only his bid of good luck and his faith.

Issei balled his fists and declared to fate with flames in his eyes.

"I'll fix this. I swear an oath on my life." Issei spoke out loud to the women in his heart.

* * *

Strangely, the fickle and strange concept of fate, seemed to be at work. Having heard the bold declaration of the Sekiryuutei, it would sit still and watch…as the pawn became a king.

With time having passed, school was reopened and Issei was forced to resume his studies.

Unfortunately…that was only the resumption of his distress.

Not even the beginning of the day showed mercy to him.

* * *

Issei awoke to find his face being planted with kisses. His eyes shooting open, Issei saw Akeno kissing his lips lightly before moving to his cheeks.

Utterly flabbergasted and shocked, Issei shot up with a tomato-red face.

"W-W-W-W-What?!" Issei then recalled what Azazel had told him. The potion was only a temporary suppressant for the Personality Ray's effects.

' _Damn! Things are gonna get complicated. I can feel it in my bones._ ' Issei shivered as he imagined what could happen in the future.

"Good morning, Issei. Breakfast is ready." Akeno smiled as she got off of the bed.

"You weren't waking up so it took a little kiss to get you out of your dream. Ufufufu" She giggled as she rubbed her lover's cheek.

"I personally don't mind if you sleep in. We can get even farther in our relationship if you want to. Though, then again, you still need to go to school."

Without another word, the raven-haired beauty got off of his bed and walked away.

Issei grumbled as he sat up and got ready.

* * *

He later left the house and walked to Kuoh Academy with his harem. The whole time, Issei was left in a state of high tension and anxiety. He didn't know what kind of personalities would erupt from them so he tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever would come his way.

In all honesty, he hoped that it would be just one girl at a time instead of all of the girls spontaneously changing personalities at once.

As he strayed into deep thought, he felt arms entangle around both of his. He turned to his left and right and found Irina and Xenovia connecting themselves to him.

His face immediately turned red as he felt their gifted bosoms pressing against him.

Issei's face broke into a perverted grin but he felt a sharp twisting pain in his thigh.

He looked and found Koneko pinching him.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! That hurts Koneko-chan." Issei surrendered for no apparent reason as the small girl punished him without mercy.

The petite girl didn't say anything but Issei knew that she was jealous.

' _I better set aside some private time for her later._ ' Issei planned for lunchtime to be when he would spend time with her.

The rest of the walk there, Issei was carefully analyzing how the girls were behaving. So far, Ravel, Irina, Xenovia, Koneko, and Asia hadn't shown any different behaviors, but he feared what Rias and Akeno would be acting like since he couldn't check on them.

Entering class, Issei was cheerfully greeted by Irina, Xenovia, and Asia.

"Issei-sama! Over here!" The Church Trio waved at him excitedly.

' _Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. None of them address me with that honorific. Don't tell me…this means…THIS MEANS!_ ' Issei trailed off in his mind.

' _ **All of them have changed at the same exact instant.**_ ' Draig finished his thought for him.

With an instant dreadful surge of emotion blasting through him, Issei's mind kicked into overdrive to find a way out of the situation.

Meanwhile, several others lurched away and gave Issei looks of disgust.

"That beast! He's making the Church Trio call him sama now!" Some of the Kendo Club members gave the Church Trio looks of pity and worry.

Before anything more could be said, Issei felt a sharp blow to the back of his head and a kick to the lower back.

"Issei! You bastard! Just how far have you progressed to make them submit to you?!"

"Did you use hypnosis or something?!"

The other two of the Perverted Trio cried out.

At this point, Issei was seriously ready to punch the crap out of Motohama and Matsuda. As of late, his irritation with them was escalating to dangerous levels.

"These two…" Issei growled under his breath.

Standing up, Issei retaliated. Sending a curved punch that bashed into the cheeks of the two that unjustly struck him.

"Gah!"

"Eeeh!"

Motohama and Matsuda fell to the floor and looked at Issei in disbelief. Never before, had he hit them so seriously.

"You two are getting really annoying." Issei glared at them with cold eyes.

The two perverts couldn't help but cower and whimper when the Sekiryuutei's tone darkened.

The rest of the class looked at the three in awe, with only silence filling the atmosphere.

"Whoa."

"Hyoudou snapped."

Even the Kendo Club was astounded by what just happened.

Not a single word was uttered after that incident, signifying that a change was coming. No matter how much Motohama and Matsuda had hit Issei before, he never treated them that way after receiving some form of abuse from them.

* * *

When Lunch came, Issei was getting ready to leave the classroom. He looked at the Church Trio and found that they were all still talking with their fellow classmates, which Issei didn't want to get into.

In solitude, Issei took a walk outside and sat down at a bench.

Eating a bento prepared by Akeno, Issei was thinking about countermeasures to incidents if the effects of the Personality Ray ever went out of control again.

Suddenly, he felt two pairs of arms snake around him. One pair coiled around his arm and another wrapped themselves around his torso.

Snapping to look around, he found the eyes of a certain brunette and redhead cuddling with him.

"Rias!? Akeno!?" He shouted in alarm.

Akeno and Rias seemed to be in a trance as Issei noticed the distant looks in their eyes.

"Finally. We can finally be close with Issei." Rias exhaled as she pressed herself to her boyfriend.

"I don't understand but I just can't calm down and feel better unless I'm with Issei." Akeno smiled.

While he was surprised at first, Issei didn't particularly mind the close contact. Heck, he didn't even care if the school saw them. He just wanted the two women with him to be comfortable.

"Issei, I love you." The both of them spoke at the same time before bringing their lips closer and closer to him.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong time.

Several feet away, an uncountable number of students were watching them.

"WHAT!?" Nearly everyone who heard them was screaming out loud.

' _And here we go again._ ' Issei thought to himself.

"This can't be!"

"Nooo! Akeno-Onee-sama!"

"Rias-sama!"

The male crowd cried out almost simultaneously.

"I can't believe that pig corrupted them!"

"Should we report this as a crime?!"

Issei's eyebrow twitched when he heard everything that was being cursed at him.

Upset at the innumerable disturbances, Rias and Akeno stood up, glaring at everyone.

"Why are all of you so nosy?" Rias's aura began to pour out as her eyes glowed red.

"Annoying. Must all of you be such nuisances?" Akeno murmured with a frown.

All of a sudden, a yellow and red magic circle appeared on the ground, producing bright light.

"You're going to forget what just happened and you will not bother Issei anymore." The two of them spoke in sync.

When the magic circles disappeared, all of the students in the area had blank looks on their faces before they walked away from the area in a dazed fashion.

Finally sitting down again, two of the soon-to-be former Great Onee-samas, looked at Issei with apologetic looks.

"We're sorry, Issei. If it wasn't for us, you wouldn't have to put up with all of this." Akeno leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder.

"We'll make it up to you. We promise. We'll do anything for you." Rias seemed almost ecstatic at the thought of what Issei could possibly make her do.

Knowing that the two weren't really in their proper states of mind, Issei shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, you two. I'm not mad at all. I'm just glad that there's nobody to bother us now." Issei smiled at them, causing the two to turn crimson in the face.

However, what the two didn't notice was that Issei's frustration was getting over the edge. After holding in his irritation for so long with no real outlet, it was possible that he was going to explode. Fighting wasn't a form of ventilation for him since he didn't see it as such a thing.

* * *

When Lunch period ended, Issei waved goodbye to the two older women and went back to class.

Thankfully, the magic that Rias and Akeno had cast had worked. Nobody seemed to pay him any mind, though their spell hadn't reached everyone.

Seating himself back on his desk, Issei felt three gazes aimed at him and turned to see that the Church Trio were looking at him with worry.

"Issei-sama." Asia whimpered.

The three were aware of what had happened to him and hoped that they weren't doing the same to him.

Looking at her with a short smile, Issei quickly turned to look at the board before the teacher had noticed that he wasn't exactly paying attention to him.

With a small sigh of relief, Asia smiled, knowing that all was better.

Since he had nothing to do after school, Issei walked home but on the way, he decided to take a walk in order to get some solitary time to himself. It had actually been a while since he had done that.

When he was done, he arrived at his manor far later than he had planned to stay out. Opening the door, he was greeted by something that he found to have become a common thing now in the household.

A large pair of soft mounds had collided with his face.

Taking in the sweet honey scent that was mashing into his nostrils, the Sekiryuutei knew who was glomping him.

"Welcome home, Issei!" Irina giggled as she helped Issei stand up.

"We didn't think you'd be gone for so long. It's already 6:00 pm, so how about we go out to dinner?" Rias walked up to him and bent over a little with smile.

Issei couldn't help but stare at the two gifted mounds that jiggled when Rias did that. A small smile spread across his lips but Issei regained his composure and nodded after assuming a more natural expression.

"What's everyone in the mood for?" Issei hoped that sukiyaki wasn't on the menu. The last time they had that, everybody got rowdy and started acting crazy not too long after.

"We were thinking about a buffet tonight." Akeno made her input, with multiple heads nodding in agreement.

Issei didn't seem to have anything against this suggestion either, though he should have.

* * *

After arriving at the buffet, everyone had sat down at a long table in the middle of the buffet, which, somehow, was the only area with available seats.

With a long table for 12, Issei was seated directly at the middle.

When he looked around, he noticed that almost everyone in the buffet was looking at them. Jealous eyes from countless men beamed at him. These types of glares were truly becoming a thorn in his side, along with the rude comments.

"What's with that guy?! He's sitting with so many babes!"

"Why are so many drop-dead gorgeous women sitting with a plain guy like him?"

The muttering seemed to be endless and it continued for a while.

After having had enough, Akeno and Rias created a magical barrier that drowned out the noise of the envious crowds around their table.

Issei bowed his head in apology.

"Sorry, it's my fault." Issei sighed but a kiss on the cheek from Kuroka cheered him up instantly, putting a smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it, nya. People are just jealous of how cool you are." Kuroka, who was wearing a black sweater and jean skirt, gave him a warm and gentle smile.

Issei smiled in return but that made several people staring at him rowdy again.

"What the hell!?"

"That guy needs to die!"

Suddenly, Issei felt two fists collide with the back of his head.

Irritation flaring in him, Issei shot around and saw that fate decided to screw with him again. He didn't even understand how this could've possibly happened.

Matsuda and Motohama were heaving with jealousy and looked like their eyes were about to burst from their sockets.

"Issei! What is the meaning of this?!" Matsuda screeched.

Issei was getting _VERY_ tired of them. They were constantly hitting him and crying over his harem. The constant and baseless false rumors that went around school about him taking advantage of the girls that he loved were also caused by them out of spite. He at first considered them friends since they were social outcasts like him, but no more. He didn't need people spreading false rumors of him and he didn't need people constantly hitting him for nothing when he was basically risking his life almost every week.

With his anger finally erupting, the Sekiryuutei finally let it all out.

"What the hell do all of you want from me?! If you can't stand this, then go somewhere else! My life is my own. I'm not doing anything to all of you so shut up and mind your own business! If you're jealous, then too bad!" He cried out at the two idiot

For the moment, the two were too shocked to even speak.

"You two want to get with women just because you don't want to be virgins, well guess what! Women are not tools and toys. I've learned that and grown up. The women that are with me are with me because I love them. I don't think of them as outlets for my libido. I think of them as people that will always be in my heart! I'm not a third-rate pervert like you two anymore. From now on, the two of you can be lechers on your own! I don't need friends like the two of you, who curse at people who have things that you don't!"

When he was finally done, he sat down and resumed eating, not giving a care of what came next.

Too surprised to do anything, the other two of the Perverted Trio, now the Perverted Duo, walked away. As they did, they reflected on how they had treated Issei recently.

All of the girls at the table then decided then and there that they had to talk with Issei later.

Meanwhile, Issei was quietly feeling a bit down but also refreshed. It was now that he realized that he had actually built up a surprising level of stress.

He actually hadn't intended on creating an outburst, but he couldn't go back in time. To be honest, he saw this sort of outcome coming. He knew that if his current lifestyle kept up, he would cease his friendship with Motohama and Matsuda. They were just becoming too jealous and slanderous to be around.

However, his list of friends outside of the supernatural realm had dropped to zero. For all of the chaos that came from the world that he was reborn into, he had actually hoped to maintain a link with the Human Realm.

* * *

When the group got home, Issei had showered and changed and headed to bed early in an attempt to sleep early.

As he entered his room, his arms were gently dragged in front of him, slowly leading him to his bed. Sitting on it, were all of the women in his harem, except for two.

Leading him there, were Koneko and Asia.

"Issei, go ahead and sit here." Rias patted the spot in front of her. Doing as he was told, Issei sat down with his back facing her.

Immediately, he felt her gentle pair of hands kindly lead his head into Rias's lap as his body stretched out, sprawling him comfortably across the mattress.

"You've been holding in so much stress lately, haven't you?" She stroked his head warmly.

Closing his eyes and taking a long and deep breath, Issei confessed.

"Yeah."

Akeno and Gabriel lied down and gently hugged him as they kissed him on the cheek.

"It's because of us, isn't it?" Gabriel gave him a guilty look.

Issei wasn't going to lie, they were indeed why, but that wasn't really it. It was more along the lines of dealing with an accidental fiasco that had involved them.

"I can't deny that it has to do with my current lifestyle, but it's not really anyone's fault. It's just that…" Issei trailed off.

"It's okay. Let it all out." Akeno gave him a soothing look as she kissed his cheek.

Nodding, Issei began to voice his innermost thoughts.

"Lately, I've been thinking about a lot of things. I think it's clear that, well, we're all living in a harem situation." Issei held his breath and hoped that his words came out right.

"Yeah. We know." Irina gave him a bitter smile.

"Well, I've thought about the future and what it might be like. I was actually just some regular guy who didn't know anything at all and now, I'm living happily with all of you. I keep asking myself if I'm really worthy of any of you. I'm a big pervert, I won't deny that. So can I really say that it's okay to admit that I love all of you? And what about possible children? What would they feel like if they had a mega pervert like me to be their dad? What will they think of me when they learn about how weak I was? Will they treat each other as family when they learn that they have the same dad but are only half-siblings? Will they love each other? Will they hate each other? Am I just being selfish?"

It became painstakingly clear to the women with him that they had failed to notice his distress. While he was talking, his speech had sped up little by little, making it clear that he had been drowning in these thoughts for quite some time.

"Shhh. It's okay, Issei." Xenovia gently spoke to him.

"You're thinking too hard. It's natural, of course, but it's no use thinking about that now, not when there's so much more time to pass before that situation could happen." Ravel smiled at him from where she sat.

What she was saying made sense. They all had long lives to live, but the nagging thoughts refused to go away.

"When that time comes, we'll make sure to show our children all of the sides of their father, both good and bad. When we're born, we don't pick our parents or what they're like. We can only learn from them and accept them for who they are and love them." Koneko cutely smiled a heartfelt expression at Issei, causing him to mellow a little.

"It doesn't truly matter what anyone else says either. Even if people judge us, it's all invalid because they don't know you like we do." Asia chimed in softly.

"It's also clear to all of us that you have every right to love us. You try so hard to make us happy and you do your best to protect the people that you care about. We all love you so there's no need to doubt anything. Your kindness, strength, and determination. These are only a few of the reasons why we love you." Kuroka made her own input as she laid down close to him.

"See, Issei? Nobody doubts you or feels wrong about you and your feelings because no matter what, as long as we care about each other, it doesn't matter what comes our way. We'll never stop loving you." Rias gave her boyfriend and soft kiss on the forehead before he began to feel sleepy.

"Go ahead and sleep. You deserve it." Akeno gently rubbed his face as he did as suggested.

Closing his eyes, Issei felt sleep take him, with his incessant worrying disappearing from his mind.


	18. Chapter 14: Moonlit Oath

_**Author's Note: I warn you to read up to Volume 21 before reading this chapter and any future chapters in case I forget to mention it. Massive. MASSIVE SPOILERS.**_

 _ **READ AT YOUR OWN SAFETY OF BEING SPOILED.**_

 _ **Personality Ray Target: Asia**_

 _ **Personality Change: Tsundere**_

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Moonlit Oath**

Ever since Issei's insecurities came to a closure, he found that harmony had swept through his home, however, two weeks after this peaceful conclusion, Issei noticed that things had grown tense once more.

Of course, this happened after reclaiming Ravel and Riser from Diehauser's custody and revealing the secrets of the King Piece scheme that was plotted by the Higher-ups of Devil Society.

With Trihexa loose and being off of the radar, Issei and all of DxD were given a break since they deserved it after the hectic battle that finally ended Rizevim's threatening existence.

* * *

Currently, Issei had found that he couldn't perfectly divide his attention among his many lovers, even with Ravel's efficient help.

Still, he tried his best and it worked for a time but it became clear that the power of the Personality Ray was causing another rise of unrest.

When he looked any of his Harem members in the eyes, he saw that there was confliction, confusion, and even disorientation going on in their minds.

Having had enough of this fiasco, Issei contacted Azazel and found that he had come up with a permanent cure.

What it was, Issei swore to keep to himself. It was something that he dared not to tell to just anyone.

Issei had thought long and hard and had finally come to a conclusion. He was going to go through whatever he had to, to cure his lovers and bring his feelings full circle, even if he wasn't going to savor every moment.

The morning was drawing late, as Issei was awoken by a rather abrupt motion.

He felt himself being shaken awake as he heard a particular high-pitched voice.

"Wake up! Issei, wake up already!" Asia's tone was rather harsh, which must have been what woke him up in the first place.

He opened his eyes and found a short blonde girl with her hands on her hips, glaring at him with an apron tied around her.

"Breakfast is ready. Hurry up and come down so that we can finally eat, sloth!" Asia barked.

Issei noticed that her attitude was much more impolite and aggressive than before, a fact that he worried would worsen.

The whole time while eating breakfast, he noticed that Asia was radiating bad vibes, putting the others into discomfort.

Even on the walk to school, Asia avoided Issei and huffed when he tried to reach out to her.

"Hyoudou, what did you do to Argento? She's pretty ticked off." She gave the former member of the Perverted Trio, now Duo, an accusational look.

"It's a long story, Kiryuu. I'll explain it to you at another time." He sighed.

During class, however, he felt a strong presence behind him, whenever he looked back, it would disappear and yet, would reappear whenever he looked away.

He didn't need to guess who it was, though.

Asia wasn't exactly hiding her discontent with him.

* * *

As lunch came, Issei took out his bento and was about to eat in class until he felt two arms carry him up from his seat.

Turning to look, he found the tsundere Asia dragging him off.

"I need an escort since I don't want random guys just popping up to talk to me today.  
Make sure you scare them off for me." She huffed as she continued to drag him along with her.

Issei sighed while making an exasperated expression.

"What's up with all of that sighing?! Are you that bothered by being around me?!" She practically yelled at the Sekiryuutei.

"N-No. It's not that. I'm just tired." He half-lied.

In truth, he was still feeling the effects of the [Diabolos Dragon] Form. He was so exhausted that he wasn't sure if he would even be able to use his normal Balance Breaker for the time being.

Asia's brow rose in an inquisitive fashion.

"Stupid! If you drop dead, then Rias-Onee-sama will cry. Even though, you're kind of useless, the team mood still depends on you." She spat venomously, though her blush made it clear that she didn't mean it.

"Sorry. I promise to rest up better from now on." Issei gave her an honest apologetic smile.

Asia's face saddened slightly at that.

"You better. I don't want Issei-san to get hurt anymore." She muttered that last sentence to herself.

* * *

After arriving at the rooftop, the two ate silently.

Issei had been thinking largely about how he would propose to Asia.

He had to admit, he hadn't exactly had to deal with this sort of tsundere girl before. The closest one to being a tsundere was Ravel, though she was a bit closer to the sweet side than the tsun side.

"What's up? You've been brooding to yourself like a gargoyle." She asked him with a rather mean tone but she still had a hint of her regular tenderness.

"I was just thinking about the future."

"Of course. You better not have forgotten your promise to me." She huffed.

Issei recalled that he had made a bunch of promises to her.

Then again, there was the one that he would never forget, even if he tried.

"Yeah. Once I become a high-class Devil, I'm taking you and Xenovia with me." He gave a happy exhale.

Asia smiled sweetly to herself before noticing her own expression.

Clearing her throat before making a haughty expression again, she quickly dismissed her true emotions.

"D-Don't misunderstand. I'm only going because nobody would be able to take care of you since you can't seem to do it yourself." She tumultuously sputtered.

Issei knew that behind that tsundere wall, she was indirectly telling him about how much she cared about him.

Patting her head, he found that her face had become much more scarlet than before.

"I know. I can't thank you enough for always taking care of me, Asia." He lightly laughed with a sincere smile.

"Hau…" The blonde girl exhaled as her bashful nature made her become silent.

When she couldn't stand the rapid beating of her heart any longer, she quickly got up with an excuse.

"I don't have any more time to spend on you. I think you should be happy enough that I spent this much of my day with you. Be grateful. Hmph." She flipped her hair as she walked away.

' _Well, that was cute._ ' Issei chuckled to himself.

* * *

With Lunch over, he returned to class but on the way, he bumped into someone.

A not so unfamiliar person had collided lightly with his chest.

He looked down and found Asia looking at him with a slight blush that was accompanied with a frown.

"Could you please be more careful with where you're walking?" She lightly scolded.

' _At least she was more polite this time._ ' The Sekiryuutei commented.

' _ **At least she didn't yell at you loudly this time.**_ ' Draig gave his own comment.

"Sorry, Asia-chan. I'll watch out next time." He gave a sheepish grin before the girl walked away.

* * *

On the way home, he decided that he needed to take Asia out on a date since it seemed like she needed it the most at the moment.

When the whole Personality Ray fiasco took place, she was the first that he had taken out on a date but after some thought, it had been a long time since he had spent time with just her alone.

Now the next problem was where he would take her. Then, an idea came to his mind after a whole night.

The weekend was drawing near so he had to plan the next occasion very well so that it would be memorable.

The next day, he spent his breaks at school making calls and pulling strings, courtesy of Grayfia.

When he finalized everything, he now had to tackle the next thing on his schedule for the day.

He had to ask the girl to go out with him.

Catching her talking with the other two of the Church Trio, he called out to Asia.

"Asia-chan!" He waved at her.

The blonde girl gave him a glance before assuming her tsundere side.

"What?" She curtly asked.

"I wanted to talk to you in private. Can you spare me some time?" He clapped his hands together and gave him the most endearing look he could muster.

Caught off-guard by his newfound desire to speak privately, she became a bit flustered, partly due to his new behavior.

"Well, I'll grace you with my presence, so fine." She crossed her arms as Issei led her to a private area where he knew that they wouldn't be overheard talking.

Coming to a halt in the Old School Building, he turned to Asia.

"Asia, do you want to go out on a date with me this weekend?"

Asia blinked once absent-mindedly once before blinking again, comprehending what she was just asked.

"A-A date?!" She stuttered.

Issei answered her question with a nod.

"Yeah. What we're doing is a surprise, though." He gave teasing smirk as Asia then nodded without hesitation.

"Yeah! Let's go!" She excitedly leapt onto him.

This lasted for a moment until she noticed what she had done. Lightly pushing away, she went back to acting more impatient.

"Ahem. If that's the case, then make sure to show me a good time. Anything less than satisfactory will make you very unhappy as an end result." Asia bluffed.

Issei was inwardly relieved as he smiled.

"Alright then. We'll be leaving Friday night on a private train, then." He gave her the first part of their schedule, which was already intriguing Asia.

"Fine. I'll be there then." She calmly promised as she walked away.

With her back turned, Asia sweetly smiled with excitement as Issei merely watched her, oblivious to her expression.

* * *

Soon enough, the destined day had come and the anticipated time had arrived.

When everyone had returned home after club activities, Issei had to do something that he considered to be very difficult, in his opinion.

Tell the other women in his life that he was taking only one of them on a date. For ONE WHOLE weekend.

Of course, he already knew that they were all past the point of insecure jealousy but those were only his thoughts. He knew that the Personality Ray was going to find some way to cause an incident.

Slowly walking to the front of his door, he felt his feet get cold as his strength seemed to drain.

' _Let nothing happen. Let nothing happen. Let nothing happen._ ' Issei repeated these words in his mind over and over as he mustered his resolve together.

"I'm home!" He called out as he took off his shoes.

To his surprise, he was glomped as soon as he was done speaking by a woman that he knew all too well.

"Welcome home, Issei! I've missed you so, so, so much!" Akeno happily cuddled him, unknowingly suffocating him.

The soft and bouncy felling of her chest made Issei's inner pervert squeal in happiness.

"Mmmmm." He heard a growl escape from Asia as she glared at him from behind.

It was as if the air around her rumbled with her frustration.

Gently escaping Akeno's grasp, he gave a heave as he made a giant intake of air.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make." Issei knew that his face was starting to pale a little.

He prayed to all realms that no yandere and tsundere tendencies would trigger as he was about to speak.

"Asia and I are going out on a date this weekend, starting tonight. We'll be coming back Sunday night so don't worry about us." He awkwardly spoke.

He had planned a more well-spoken and calm explanation but his tongue betrayed him, making him phrase things as he had just said.

He froze as he realized that he had worded things wrong.

The silence in the room was so noticeable that Issei could hear crickets outside.

"U…Um…" He nervously spoke up with a slight whimper. He found that he had been doing this quite often recently.

Rias merely sighed and made a bitter smile.

"Alright. Have fun you two. However…" She walked up to Issei and leaned in while cupping his cheek with her hand.

"I expect that you'll take all of us on dates, yes?" She smiled, though there was an intense aura around her.

Though, Issei wasn't intimidated in the least by this particular act.

"Of course, Rias." He held her hand and nodded.

Of course, the other girls gave encouraging nods as they saw him and Asia off, though he could feel a rather unsettling atmosphere around Akeno.

* * *

Guiding Asia to a train station for Devils that wanted to blend into the Human Realm, they boarded it and sat in their own private compartment that had been set up by Grayfia.

When the train finally started to move, Issei set down their bags and sat by a window seat.

Their compartment was extravagantly large and could easily fit 100 people, with a drink bar instead of an alcohol bar, which Grayfia had ensure to remove so that no funny business happened.

Service was also available on the go with the press of a button.

With several hours to reach their departure, Issei got comfortable as he invited Asia to sit with him.

"Asia, there's something that I want to show you." He gestured to the seats close to him.

Sitting next to him, she peered through the window and saw a marvelous sight.

From a long way away, she could see the brightness of cities radiating from afar, illuminating the scenery. Red, white, yellow, and green lights blinked and became like small stars that shined from the distance, without a single noise of cities to disturb the night.

Asia was truly fascinated by what she was seeing.

It wasn't a sight that she saw often, or rather, she could barely recall when she had seen such a sight before.

Issei was truly relieved when he saw that she was enjoying what she was seeing. He half-expected a sassy comment to come from her but it turned out to be quite the opposite.

For someone that had been prevented from seeing the world, he had made it one of his missions to take her to see some of it, even if only briefly.

"It'll be like this for the next few hours, so you can go ahead and enjoy the scenery while it's still here."

Suddenly, his stomach growled.

"I guess we should eat before anything else. I don't think we've eaten since lunch today." He remembered that he had forgotten to grab some food before leaving the Residence, therefore, he pressed the service button.

After placing orders and obtaining their food, Issei immediately dug in with gusto.

The sushi box was truly delectable, having a completely fresh and professionally done taste.

Asia looked at him and felt the overbearing urge to be fed.

Issei saw her staring at him out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to look at her, she went back to eating her own dinner.

"Would you like some?"

Asia finally saw her chance and seized it.

"I don't have much care towards what you're personally eating…but if it will make you feel better, then I will oblige." She haughtily responded.

"What would you like?"

"The Inarizushi. Feed me, servant." Asia closed her eyes and opened her mouth.

Issei instantly sputtered.

"Wait! What?!" He shouted in confusion.

"I'm waitiiiing." She spoke in a sing-song voice, telling him to hurry up and feed her.

Taking the fried tofu sushi, he gently fed her with some minor embarrassment.

While she didn't show it, Asia was elated and happy.

She had fantasized of spending private time with just Issei and acting lovey-dovey.

When she swallowed her food, she took a piece of her own meal and held it up.

"I'll grace you with feeding you as well, since you did such a proper job of feeding your master." Her words were overbearing but Issei understand what her message was.

She wanted to feed him too.

Opening his mouth, Asia gently popped the piece of fried steak in his mouth.

Savoring the salted and saucy taste of the tender beef, he gave Asia a satisfied smile.

"Taste's great"

Asia let out a small giggle in response.

* * *

Through the night, the pair spectated the sights that passed by in front of them, admiring different sights as they traveled to Issei's planned destination.

The whole time, they laughed and pointed at various things that intrigued them in wonder as Issei answered all questions that Asia asked.

Not long after dinner, Asia slowly felt drowsiness overtake her, making her realize just how tired she was.

Laying Asia's sleepy head on his shoulder, Issei simply stared out of the window and watched as the land went by, excitedly waiting for their arrival at where he would make his largest move yet.

Asia was gently shaken awake by Issei's hand.

When she opened her eyes, she found the view from outside of her window to be completely different from what she expected.

"Eh?" She simply said as she found a scenery of mountains and hills covered in white snow, with more falling from the sky.

"Finally awake?" Issei chuckled.

"Where are we?"

"We're at a ski resort. We got here through a magic circle that the train took. Come on. Let's get our stuff and get checked in."

Taking their luggage from the storage compartments, the pair proceeded inside.

The building was western styled and stood multiple stories tall, like a massive hotel that achieved no less than five stars.

"Welcome, guests. Are you here for a walk-in check-in? Or do you have a reservation?" The female desk attendant cheerfully greeted them.

"I reserved a room for two under the name Hyoudou."

Typing away at her computer, the attendant confirmed the reservation and handed Issei two keys.

"Here you go. You're in Room 214. Please enjoy your stay."

Giving a courteous thanks, Issei led Asia to an elevator as they went to their room.

The whole time, Asia had actually expected for him to reserve separate room but she had never anticipated that he'd get them a room to themselves.

Almost instantly, her mind jumped to conclusions, mostly to obscene ones.

' _O-O-O-One room?! I-I thought we were going to be in separate rooms. M…Maybe he's going to do something?!_ '

However, Issei was actually fairly restrained when he did this. His intentions were along the romantic lines, contrary to his open nature about his worldly desires…actually that wasn't the total truth.

He had also done this to tease and mess with Asia's tsundere nature, which was rather innocent. He just couldn't help but stifle his laughter as Asia comically freaked out. It was a bit undeniable that Asia's overbearing attitude had been getting worse so this was only a small bit of revenge on her.

When they entered their hotel room, there were actually two separate queen-sized beds with red sheets and white pillows. The floor was draped with red carpet and a large window that overlooked the view of the snowy mountains in the distance. There was a large table in the room with two TVs hanging on walls with separate bathrooms and even a kitchen. Instead of a hotel room, it was largely similar to a very nice cabin.

' _Alright. Now I just need the weekend to play out smoothly and then I'll make my move._ ' Issei gave himself a confident grin in an effort to maintain his momentum.

Checking his regular watch, it was 10:00 pm, which meant that time wouldn't afford them much time to do anything tonight.

Unfazed, Issei wasn't deterred in the slightest with the vacation's course.

"Alright, Asia. Let's sleep for now so that we can wake up well-rested tomorrow. We've got a big day ahead of us." He gave her a sly grin as he got into his bed and turned away from her.

"Hmph. I expected you to do something spectacular as soon as we got here but considering that it's you, I guess this'll do. At least there's room to sleep on." She haughtily inspected everything in sight, though she couldn't hide her amazement.

Without further ado, the pair drifted into sleep, excited for the next day.

* * *

As morning arrived, Issei awoke bright and early at 7:00 AM to get ready for the day.

They had a big schedule to follow, so he had to make sure that he had everything booked and ready.

First, breakfast in the five-star hotel downstairs. Second, take part in all activities at the resort. Third…well, third was a surprise.

Just as 8:00 AM beeped on his watch, Issei decided to wake Asia. Gently nudging her, he softly spoke to her.

"Asia. It's 8:00 in the morning. If you don't wake up, we can't take part in all of the fun that I have planned."

Asia grumbled with an irritated tone and covered herself with her blanket.

Seeing that she wasn't going to easily comply, Issei smiled in an exasperated way.

"I guess I'll have to have fun all by myself with nobody to be with me. Hm, I wonder if anyone from home followed us here." He teased her as he feigned disappointment and curiosity.

Knowing how to push her buttons, his prompt had given the exact reaction that he wanted.

"Ugh, I'm awake. Stop being so annoying." Asia muttered as she sat up and yawned while stretching.

"Good. I'll be waiting downstairs in the lobby for you. Go ahead and get ready and then come down when you're all done." He didn't give her time to be snarky as he chuckled.

Asia merely grumbled before washing her face, fixing her hair, and generally doing the morning practice for preparing for the day. Putting on a light-yellow sweater, black pants, and brown boots, she hoisted her coat into her arms and hurried to meet up with her beloved Issei.

In truth, she couldn't help but giggle in anticipation of what Issei had planned for her.

When she entered the lobby from the elevator, she found Issei browsing through catalogs of the resort.

Walking over to him, she resumed her harsh façade and stood over him.

"Ready?" The Sekiryuutei

"Yeah." She curtly replied as she began walking with the young man.

* * *

While the view was somewhat obscured during the night, Asia was able to get a full scope of the powerful sight in front of her.

She could see the golden sun peaking rays from behind mountains as white snow covered the landscape like a blanket. Shops and stalls were set up like classical towns with stores being right next to each other with stone roads paving paths across the area.

"Issei, where are we?" Asia had never been to a place such as this before. It was like a blend of modern and old-school construction.

"This location is called **Otherworld Slopes**. It's a place for the supernatural to dwell while on vacation. This place is like a ski resort for youkai and mythical entities. So there's a blend of different cultures here so that everyone can get a taste of home." Issei explained.

This brought up another question.

"When did you learn about this place?" The former nun raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Issei froze for a moment. He was worried about how cheesy it would sound when he told her the story.

In truth, he had spent a week trying to find a place that could give Asia a taste of different things from all over the world, mortal and supernatural. Knowing that she had been cooped up within the church since childhood, he had taken it upon himself to help her make up for some of that lost time.

Having scoured for days, he managed to find this place after hearing a rumor about it before personally visiting this place.

In the end, when Asia gave Issei a glare for avoiding her question, he confessed.

"Oh?" Asia was quite touched when he told her.

She and the other girls wondered about where had gone all those days when he went straight for somewhere else after school. It made them feel rather uncomfortable really, or rather, Akeno, Rossweisse, Gabriel, and herself. Rias wasn't very troubled, however, being the faithful wife that was confident in his loyalties. It didn't help that Kiryuu kept suggesting that Issei was sneaking off to go do obscene things with other women.

Now that the truth was out, Asia gave a sigh of relief.

"I see. You really are something else." Asia lost her tsundere demeanor for a mere moment before smiling brightly as she continued to walk down the stone sidewalk.

Issei had felt his heart skip a little when Asia smiled at him.

' _The smile of the Goddess is returning!_ ' Issei cried tears of relief and nostalgia before recomposing himself and following Asia to guide her around.

While this was his third time here, Issei hadn't actually taken the time to take in the sights and experiences here. In the first place, he had come here before in a logical and task-oriented manner.

* * *

As the day began, Issei took her to the department stores and began to show her things that were from all over the world, such as Chinese antiques ( _ **that were legally owned**_ ), Japanese weapons, Medieval stories, and other kinds of exotic things.

Asia was truly fascinated and she could feel that her view of the world expanded a bit as Issei would answer all of her questions precisely. While it may not have appeared to be much, Asia could see how hard he had tried in making sure that she could enjoy this experience. She knew for a fact that Issei wasn't normally studious, but when he showed how much his database had expanded, she knew that he had pushed himself.

Taking her around the stores to try different types of food that were authentically cooked in their own cuisine, Issei couldn't help but laugh and just feel good that Asia was having fun. It made him feel more warm than he had ever been with her. The time that he spent with her when he had just met her seemed so small compared to this when it came to the emotions he was feeling.

* * *

Having spent half of the day exploring small pockets of the world, Issei decided that it was time to go skiing. An experience that he had learned through trial and error.

He wasn't too honest about it, but when he first began, he could barely move properly, but in time, he had become a pro at it so that he could teach Asia.

In a nutshell, she was a fast learner. That was all that really needed to be said and that was all that Issei's pride could accept.

Taking a ski lift up, the pair marveled at the sight that they were seeing right now.

With the sun setting, the snow really sparkled and shimmered in light as its rays passed over the valleys and little hills under them.

"I didn't think snow was this sparkly." Asia spoke in delight.

"I guess because it's all natural and fresh snow over here." Issei reasoned.

"I hope to come here again." Asia giggled.

Issei looked at her with a glad expression.

"That can be arranged."

The blonde girl merely returned the expression with enthusiasm as she imagined what else she would experience here again.

Then, she also wondered about whether or not it would be possible. Considering the future and recent events.

Taking hold of her hand, Issei gave her a reassuring look.

"No matter what, I'll beat out everything that'll stop us from coming here again. I promise. We'll come here again."

With her face turning red due to how masculine Issei was acting, she bowed her head and leaned against his chest.

"Now you've made me like this. Dummy." Asia mumbled as she stayed red-faced.

At the summit, Asia felt her confidence plummet as she looked at how high she and Issei were. The fact that the sun was going to disappear soon didn't help her since she wasn't sure if she should be skiing at such a barely lit time.

"T-That's really far. I-I don't think I should be doing this. What if I can't see where I'm going?" She stuttered as her mind played tricks on her, making her imagine herself tumbling along the cold slopes.

"Well, you mastered skiing before we even got up here. I think you'll do fine. Besides, it's going to be better to learn from up here." Issei tried to reassure her of her abilities.

"Also, when you take off from here, you'll be able to see something that you won't see from the summit. I promise that it's worth it. I'll be with you too." He gave a faithful pat on the shoulder as he patiently waited for her to go.

Slowly, Asia began to buck up her courage and slowly took off.

At first, she was scared above all else until she thought about things. She realized the feeling of the wind in her face and the exhilaration that she was experiencing. Now that she thought about it, it felt as if she were traveling around the world.

When she had slid down the mountain side, she found that many areas in Otherworld Slopes were designed to be like places from all over the world.

Remodels and altered designs such as the Eiffel Tower and Tokyo Tower were two of the landmarks replicated here, with related cities being replicated around them. Strangely, she had never noticed these things while coming up.

Only Issei knew the secret to that.

Through magic, the builders of the resort created illusionary replicas of major cities from all over the world and placed them on the skiing path's sides. This was so that the skiers could feel as if they were racing through the world. It was actually a beautiful sight. This was also a bit safer since there were chances of accidents being less dangerous because of the snow and there were magic spells to keep anything dangerous from happening.

Magic - 1. Technology – 0.

Taking quick glances, around, Asia was introduced to a world of light and exotic sights that were so convincing that she could've sworn that the buildings and cities around her were real.

The Parthenon, Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tower, Statue of Liberty, Egyptian Pyramids, and other tourist landmarks towered into the sky as they lit up with lights, standing like monuments of color that blissfully shined into the night sky.

"Uwaaah." Asia let out a fascinated exhale as she smiled at the spectrum around her.

"Having fun?" Issei slowed himself down to ski next to her.

"Mhm." Asia nodded with a wide grin.

"I'm glad." That was all Issei said before they began to slow down since they were almost at the end of the path.

When they were done, Issei led Asia back to their room so that they could rest for the last day.

Looking over his agenda, he had managed to take care of half of the things that he had planned.

Day 1

1\. Take Asia around to taste exotic foods and try clothes.

2\. Take Asia skiing.

3\. Get Asia to the summit so that she can see the magic sights.

With a content sigh, Issei hoped that the next day would be able to outdo what he had planned earlier today.

* * *

As said time came, Issei and Asia repeated yesterday's morning routine and had breakfast at an Angel-owned French Diner.

Enjoying buttered croissants and crepes, Issei was trying to fuel himself up on food and energy in hopes that he wouldn't have an excuse for getting light-headed later.

However, the first hurdle that he had now come cross was the fact that he wasn't sure how to stall until it was time for Day 2's schedule to really start. Thankfully, fortune kept Asia interested in the town as they wandered around the shops in full detail, though Issei had been tapping his foot often in an attempt to try and make time progress faster.

As soon as 6:00 PM hit, Issei and Asia had both changed into formal wear, with him wearing a black suit with a white shirt and with Asia wearing an emerald green dress that reached her calves.

While standing outside of their hotel, Issei silently thanked the Higher Power in the sky.

' _Thank you, Heaven. I was sure that Asia was starting to get bored._ ' He breathed a sigh of relief.

' _ **Yeah. It looked like your plan had a shortcoming there. Anyways, the old man should be here soon.**_ ' Draig's mysterious heads up made Issei pause and look at the sky as something in the distance made its way towards them.

Taking a closer look, Issei smirked as the second phase of his plans had arrived.

"Issei, what is that?" Asia looked at the incoming object in suspicious caution.

"Don't worry. It's nothing bad."

Quickly, as the shape came closer, Asia realized what was heading towards them.

A carriage, no…a sleigh was heading towards them.

"Hohohoho!" An aged and somewhat loud voice boomed those words out loud, followed by a hearty laugh.

Asia could not believe her eyes and ears as the sleigh came sliding to stop in front of her.

"S-Sa…" She stuttered.

"Good evening, children! Hahahaha!" An elderly man with a wide waist and tall height laughed merrily as he stepped off of his giant sleigh.

He was dressed in a red jacket and red pants with white fur outlines and black boots along with a pointed red hat.

His sleigh was smooth wood with lanterns and was large enough to seat 8 people. At the front, were 8 reindeer that stood 10 ft. tall and were all tied together with harnesses. At the front, however, was a reindeer that was slightly smaller than the others, though his nose gave off a gentle red light.

"I'm very grateful to you, Santa Clause-sama. I apologize for making you come out at such a time." Issei gave a humble bow.

"Hahaha! No trouble on my part, dear boy! I'm glad to be of service." Santa kindly shook Issei's hand.

"Ah! This must be Ms. Asia! You've been on the nice list for ages. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly get into the Vatican to personally deliver you gifts." Santa gave said girl an apologetic smile with a sheepish scratch of the head.

"N-No! It's no problem at all! I'm grateful that you even took the time to even remember me." She bowed courteously.

Santa took a careful look at her and then turned to Issei.

"Hohohoho! No wonder you were so eager. Well, my boy. Climb aboard my sleigh and I shall take you along the adventure you asked for." Santa gestured towards the seats at the back of his sleigh.

Taking Asia's hand, Issei helped her get into the sleigh as Santa gently took off into the sky.

Slowly, the scenery from below grew smaller and smaller as they reached higher into the sky.

"Issei, where are we going?" Asia gave him a nervous look.

"We're going for a small joyride. I can't burden Santa with going around the world so we'll have to settle with going around this area for a little while. Sorry." Issei sheepishly gave a sorry look but was met with a shake of the head from Asia.

"No. You really outdid yourself. I guess you are capable of doing amazing things…once in a while." She giggled.

For the next 2 hours they cruised around the scenery of the wilderness around Otherworld Slopes, which had sights that Asia had never even heard of before.

They had gone through patches of trees that were silver-leafed and would sparkle and shimmer every time moonlight struck it. When a gentle breeze grazed it, leaves began to sail into the air, one of them was caught by Asia. In her hands was a leaf that looked like a snowflake.

"What kind of tree is this?" She asked with wonder.

"It's called a Lunafrost Tree. They're known for having leaves that look like snowflakes. They glow whenever moonlight touches them and they only grow in cold places with a lot of magic residue." Issei gave a brief summary as he did his best to pull that fact from his memory.

Another sight that they saw was of a lake that had a reflection of the moon on it. Whenever something struck the water, it would cause ripples that would create smaller crescent moon shapes to flow around in the water before disappearing when the waters calmed again.

* * *

When their sleigh ride was coming to a close, Issei had asked Santa Claus to take the pair to a certain place.

He had made sure not to mention any hints as to where they were going though, leaving Asia guessing.

Soon enough, as Asia looked on into the distance of the night, she found light sparkling in the distance.

"What is that?" She looked at it with wonder.

As they came closer to the sparkling object in the distance, she saw that they were approaching a massive castle of ice. It looked like pure smooth crystal that was perfectly fashioned into a palace to live in, contrary to what it was made of.

"Welcome to one of the most famous restaurants of Otherworld Slopes. The Crystal Wonder." Santa Claus informed her as he landed.

After exiting the sleigh, Issei turned to the elderly hero of children and gave a sincere bow.

"I can't thank you enough for doing this for me, Santa-sama. I'm truly grateful to you. Also, I'm sorry for not believing in you. I'm also sorry for keeping myself on the naughty list." Issei gave his trademark grin, albeit, it was a more embarrassed version.

"Hahahahahaha! Don't worry, my boy. I know that you're a good lad at heart. It's a shame that I can't bring you any gifts now that you've turned a new leaf. However, I shouldn't be bringing gifts and toys to grown men and women, now should I?" Santa subtly voiced his acknowledgement of Issei's growth before he left into the night sky.

Turning to the icy doors in front of them, Issei looked at Asia.

"Shall we go in?"

"Yes. Let's." She chuckled as Issei opened the door for them.

Walking to a receiver, Issei had him take them to a private table which was far removed from others.

After ordering their food, which wasn't cold, contrary to the theme of the place, they dug in. Issei had ordered a plate of steak simmered in red wine and covered in a special sauce that warmed the body with a slightly spicy flavor. Asia had ordered a soup accompanied by a cold salad of fresh vegetables.

Enjoying their meal, the two began to talk about the oncoming schoolyear and the kind of activities that Asia had planned.

To say the least, she had hoped to be able to continue running the Club with the confidence that Rias had, but she also wanted to be able to make their school activities a bit more real, instead of making it a front for their own supernatural activities.

For what seemed like an hour, Issei decided that the time for small talk was over. He now needed to go onto a bigger subject. Thankfully, he noticed that Asia's tsundere tendencies were finally subsiding, so he didn't have to worry about what he said anymore.

"Hey, Asia…when you said that you wanted to come with me when I become independent, were you serious?" Issei looked at the blond girl nervously.

Asia nodded and smiled earnestly.

"Yes…wherever Issei wants to go, I'll go too."

Feeling relief at her words, Issei continued.

"Then have you thought about the future? I mean have you thought about the oncoming battles? And the possibility of family?"

Asia sat silently for a little bit before giving a well-thought response.

"I have. I know that the coming battles won't be easy but I'm ready. With Fafnir standing with me and the Evil Dragons that turned good, I'll fight too. I won't leave you and the others to protect me all of the time. Also…about family…I've thought about it."

Slowly, a red shade of color crept across Asia's face.

"If I were to have children…I'd rather they be Issei's." She had trouble speaking those words out but she couldn't help but feel embarrassed when saying them out loud.

Issei absolutely did not see those words coming at all.

Dumbfounded and shocked, he felt emotion overwhelm him as he decided to make his move.

"I know that I'm engaged to Rias first, but that doesn't mean that I love her only. I think you already know that I won't be able to love just one woman only. Everyone at home…I love all of them, including you."

Asia couldn't refuse his words since she already knew from the beginning that she had to share him with the others, but that didn't faze her. She just wanted to love him and be loved by him.

"However…I want to make this clear to you."

Issei felt his legs grow weaker and cold as he got out of his seat. With the magnitude of what he was about to do coming down on him, he forced himself to remain calm.

Taking a small green box out of his suit pocket, he kneeled on one knee in front of Asia, who was covering her mouth with teary eyes.

"I love you. Ever since I spent time with you form the first day I met you, I started to fall for you. When Raynare took you away and when Diodora and Shalba nearly killed you again, I realized that you were more than just a little sister to me. You were a woman that I loved. That's why, even though this can't happen until after things with Rias become official, I want to marry you. I want the world to know that I love you too. Will you marry me?"

Issei gulped down his spit as his stomach erupted into pure chaos out of nervousness.

Asia's tears overflowed as her lips trembled.

"Yes…I'll be your wife." She whispered out as her voice threatened to crack on her.

His face erupting into a smile, he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her.

For what seemed like an eternity, they just held each other and cherished this moment while they solidified their relationship.

While it was clear that she wasn't the only woman in his life. He felt that he owed it to her to propose. Even if he couldn't marry her first, he wanted her to know how strongly he felt about her.

When Asia slipped on the ring that Issei had given her, she saw that it was a white band with an emerald jewel encrusted into it. Marveling at its symbolism and craftsmanship, she held it close to her as she savored the experiences of recent times.

When Issei looked at his Personality Ray watch, he found that the scanner indicated that she was clear, meaning that she was cured of the effects of the Personality Ray, though it made no difference to him. He was just too happy to worry about that right now.

* * *

After returning home, none of the women were surprised that Asia had come back with a ring on her finger. Having already known that this was to happen, they held no negative feelings since it was clear that Issei felt very strongly for her.

The night that the pair returned home, Issei had gone directly to his room. Having put his things away and now lying down on his bed. He contemplated what he had just done.

"So…I'm officially a douche for proposing to two women…"

Realizing that he had just proposed to another woman before even marrying his first fiancée seemed outright crazy to him.

" _ **On the contrary. You didn't propose to them just because you physically want them. You whole-heartedly love them without exception, with no carnal desires being a reason in wanting to marry them. I'd say that wouldn't make you a douche, Partner. You're just making it clear that you love all of them equally. Or else, you would only marry the Gremory girl.**_ " Draig gave his own input to add to Issei's thoughts.

Realizing that Draig's thoughts were in line with his own true emotions, he set aside with how things would look.

He didn't care now. He was living for love not lust.

Walking to a secret closet that he had stealthily hidden from everyone else, he gazed at 9 other differently-colored boxes that were of the same size as the one he showed to Asia.

* * *

 _ **Whoooo boy! This was a rather fun chapter to write but also quite tedious to think out. I had writer's block so many times that I've lost count with this one. And boy, marriage to two women now. I guess High School DxD Ex is coming soon, eh? Anyways, if you'd like, go ahead and leave a review and tell me what you think of the story so far.**_

 _ **Until next time.**_


	19. Chapter 15: A Family

_**Boy oh boy. I don't have any really good explanation for why I haven't updated in so long. Sorry to all of my readers for making you wait so long. School and writer's block have been making it tough for me to write lately so I haven't been getting any writing surges. Hopefully that changes. I hope you all can bear with me. I don't want to rush and write a crap chapter for you to read so I apologize for that and it may seem inconsistent that I don't update stories in an organized way but that's just how I write. I ride the momentum.**_

 _ **Also, I want to thank everyone who's stuck with this story and waited for it ever since I first started. I can't express how grateful I am that you all took the time to even read it in the first place. I humbly thank you all.**_

 _ **I've also realized that I can no longer keep things in a Canon way so I'm throwing away the Canon concept as events of the story are forcing me to step into a different territory. I'm going to change up some Author's Notes too.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 15 – A Family**

Issei awoke the next morning but found that an all too familiar situation occurring. Once again, he was surrounded by his harem, but this time, he felt a particular weight on his left arm. Turning to the side, he found Asia snoozing quietly as she cutely held onto his arm.

' _As much as I enjoy this…I really need to move my arm. I'm losing blood circulation here._ ' Issei deadpanned.

His right arm was also preoccupied as well, since Gabriel was using it for a pillow.

Deciding to use the skill that Draig had taught him, Issei managed to escape to his bathroom to quickly use the bathroom to clean up his appearance.

However, while inside, his mind was focused on what had happened within the past few days. He had just proposed to Asia and was now setting up a list of women that he was going to marry. Now, he had to think about how he would propose to the girls. As for that matter…Issei was lost.

' _ **Sorry, Partner. You're on your own with this particular thing. I'll just be here watching and listening until after you've figured things out.**_ ' Draig then chuckled.

' _Traitor. What happened to helping me with the best that you can give, huh?_ ' Issei fired.

' _Exactly. This is the best that I've got right now._ ' Draig smirked.

Sighing, Issei was stumped. He wanted to propose in a meaningful and memorable way that could get his feelings across but he wasn't going to do the same thing over and over for each of the girls. Still, he knew that this wasn't something to rush. He needed to think long and hard before he proposed to another woman.

Heading into the kitchen downstairs, Issei decided to do something different and made breakfast. Since they had Japanese cuisine for the past few weeks, he decided to mix things up and did something different.

Using [Boost] to increase his physical performance, and for training his control over his strength, he got to work with the abundant number of ingredients in his fridge.

Putting out bowls of congee, steamed buns with different fillings like barbecued pork, chicken, red bean paste, and taro, along with plates of fried pork and fried noodles. Judging from these choices of food, Issei had chosen to make Chinese food for breakfast.

When the girls came downstairs, they hungrily walked to the Dining Room and were enticed by the delicious scent of the food in the air.

"Ara ara, it looks like Issei made us breakfast." Akeno giggled with delight.

Issei offered a sheepish chuckle in return.

"It's not much, but I decided that since you all are always cooking, I'd do it for a change. I hope you look it."

Digging in, Rias and Asia noted the change in Issei's cooking. It had vastly improved indeed. At this rate, he might rival the Three Queens of the Kitchen, which consisted of the two of them and Akeno.

"Mmmm! It's delicious." Gabriel smiled as she took a bite of the fried pork noodles.

"Ahahah." Issei blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"Did you make bento?" Rias looked at him curiously.

The brunette nodded.

"Yeah. I made one for everyone." Issei pointed to the counter in the kitchen.

* * *

With breakfast conversation changing topics, Issei sneaked a glance to his watch. At the moment, he noticed that nothing was going on at the moment, with the watch remaining desolate and inactive. However, that was not to last. Suddenly, the hands lit up and pointed at Asia. Issei froze and crossed his fingers as he prepared himself for the worst.

 **CURED.**

The word lit up on the hand as Issei had to blink several times. Was he being fooled? Was the watch malfunctioning? Was the potion that Azazel made taking effect again?

"Issei-san? Are you alright? You're acting strange." She looked at him sweetly as Issei was snapped out of his thoughts.

Looking up, he shook his head.

"No. I'm fine." He nervously chuckled.

This alone was evidence that Asia was indeed cured.

' _Whew…_ ' He sighed to himself.

Yet, with a tragic turn of events, one of the watch's hands activated and pointed at Koneko, turning green.

' _Damn it._ ' He cursed. Every time something ended, another thing would start.

Koneko seemed to twitch slightly before she looked at Issei. Her expression slowly changed as a small and cute smile formed on her lips.

"Senpai." She said.

"Hm?" He looked at her calmly.

"Thank you for breakfast, nya." She winked and smiled, her voice becoming energetic.

For a moment there, Issei thought he saw sparkles cascading from around her.

' _Cuteness overload._ ' He wheezed in his mind.

"N-no problem, Koneko-chan." He stuttered.

"I've come to enjoy these meals a lot too. It feels like I'm finally in a happy family again." She looked down with a sad and bitter smile, with an expression of deep thought in her eyes.

Kuroka noticed this and understood what she meant. She too felt the same way. For years, the two sisters had been alone, with no parents nor relatives to watch over them. Not even once, did they manage to have a happy family dinner. Though, Kuroka had managed to bring her along to a peerage, there really wasn't much of a warm feeling whenever they had a dinner, due to the malicious intent of Kuroka's former master.

Koneko, who had returned to eating the delicious food, didn't even notice how troubled her senpai looked.

It was at that moment, that Issei decided that he was going to propose to Koneko next, or at least, promise marriage in the future. That was what his heart said, anyways.

And so, he got to work on making a plan for his next proposal. Things was…what the heck was he going to do?

He took her to a festival a while ago and he just took Asia to a ski resort, so he had to find a different idea. At that moment, the lightbulb in Issei's head had turned on.

"Eureka." He muttered.

' _ **It would seem that you have a plan now?**_ ' Draig raised a curious brow.

' _Yeah. I think I've got something_.' Issei smirked to himself.

* * *

For the next few days, Issei had been procuring whatever means he needed to make his plans a success. Sitting in a vacant room and organizing his plans, he was staring at a white board that had been marked to the point that there was barely any space left to write on.

"I've got it. I believe that I know what to do." Issei concluded as he looked at the whiteboard, though his eyes were wide and had bags underneath. If Draig didn't know any better, he would've believed that Issei had gone crazy with stress.

"And now…it is time to sleep." He muttered.

He turned to the bed in the room and looked at it with longing.

"Finally…time to…" He plopped himself onto the bed and closed his eyes immediately, drifting off into sleep before he could even finish his sentence.

Draig laughed as the sincerity of his current host had surprised him yet again. He had risked many nights of no rest in order to make sure that he could make a magical day happen.

He couldn't help but respect this chivalrous pervert's devotion to his beloved harem.

The next morning, Issei awoke, feeling re-energized and well-rested. He looked out of the window in the room and looked boldly into the sky.

"Alright. Let's get started." He declared.

He changed and walked downstairs to find that everyone was also getting ready for the day. He sat down at the table where Asia put his food in front of him with a smile.

"Thanks, Asia." He said as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Of course, Issei." She happily replied.

Ever since Issei's proposal, the two had stopped using honorifics with each other, with only their first names being used. This didn't go unnoticed with the other woman. At first, there was a bit of natural jealousy, especially with the more attached members of his harem. He was worried that if he got overly affectionate, Akeno just might snap. As for the others, they would just look at Asia with a bit of jealousy at her relationship progress and would give Issei a dissatisfied look.

While it bothered him that he was making his women feel this way, he knew that he had to make them all wait a little longer because he was going to make their wait worth their while.

Sneaking a glance across the table, he saw Koneko eating her breakfast, though she noticed his gaze and smiled at him with a look that would've turned ice into a steaming puddle.

"Something wrong, Senpai?" She asked cutely.

' _Why is she so damn cute?!_ ' Issei growled in his mind. Her tone had remained changed due to the effects of the personality ray so she was still being more energetic and cutesy.

"N-Nothing." He said.

Taking a look at a calendar hanging on the wall, he noticed that it was Friday, making it a perfect time for him to act.

After putting the dishes, bowls, and utensils in the kitchen sink, Issei walked out of the house to get to school, with the other members of his harem following suit. Suddenly, he felt a hand entangle around his palm. Turning to his left, he saw Koneko smiling at him.

"Something wrong, Senpai?" She asked cheerfully.

"No, nothing." Issei shook his head with a small smile.

The whole time during school, Issei had not focused on his studies at all. He was too busy freaking out over what could happen and what will happen. Will he look cheesy and cliché? Will he look overbearing and foolish? He didn't know at all. However, it was no longer the time to wait.

After class had ended, Issei walked over to Koneko's classroom for lunch, intent on not allowing anything to get in the way. He opened the door and for once, was met with uninterested eyes. After recent events, Issei found that he wasn't being pointed at and being screeched at. It was a nice change of pace.

He looked around and found Koneko sitting at her desk, about to bring out her bento.

"Koneko-chan. You wanna have lunch together?" He asked casually.

She instantly looked at him and chippered up. She stood up quickly and jogged over to him with a large smile.

"Yes!"

The two walked upstairs to the rooftop and sat on the stone ground, leaning against the gate. Opening their bento from Rias, they immediately dug in with excitement. The meal was delicious and fulfilling, as was expected of Rias. When their boxes were cleaned of any traces of food, Issei decided that it was time to get down to business. He'd been holding things off for too long.

"Koneko-chan…what have you been up to lately?" He decided to try and break the ice with that question.

"I've been training with Onee-sama. It's been exhausting but I feel a sense of fulfillment when I'm done with each session." Koneko smiled lightly, though it was clear that she enjoyed the reforged bond between herself and her sister.

"That's good." Issei made a look of satisfied relief.

"Koneko-chan, I've been wondering if you wanted to go out on a date with me for the weekend?" He asked sincerely, dropping his lax expression.

Koneko looked at him in surprise. This was completely out of the blue for her. She looked at him flabbergasted with a noticeable blush,

"If Issei-senpai wants to, then I'm very happy to go! No! I want to go!" She piped up.

' _Alright! Phase 1 is a success!_ ' Issei would've fist-pumped but considered how weird it would have looked if he had done so.

"Alright! How about we head out tomorrow night? Make sure to pack for cold weather." He asked with an enthusiastic smile on his face.

"Yep!" Koneko nodded.

When the ending bell rang, both went their separate ways, with Koneko walking with a spring in her step.

* * *

Even after school, no excitement had faded, well not for Koneko, at least.

She had been wondering what to pack for their trip for over an hour now. She had stayed in her room, sorting through her clothes and accessories. Having already packed items of necessity such as a toothbrush, shampoo, towels, and casual clothes; Koneko realized that she hadn't asked Issei about what they were doing exactly.

"I guess it's better to prepare for everything." She groaned to herself but she exactly what she had to do.

The next school day was something that had both Issei and Koneko feeling restless excitement. Issei hoped that what he had planned would reach Koneko's heart. Still, he felt jitters when he thought about it. It was strange since he had felt confident with Asia's proposal but with this one, he felt odd.

' _ **You've come too far to buckle and run, Partner. Buck up, swallow your spit, tense your muscles, and keep marching, haha!**_ ' Draig did his best to push his host forward with a light-hearted statement but he received no response in return, as Issei was too deep in thought to pay attention to class or Draig.

* * *

When the bell for the end of the school day came, Issei had managed to calm his nerves down and walked home with Koneko. The young nekomata had entangled her hand around his and smiled at her brightly.

"I get to go on a date with Senpai! Hehehe!" She giggled with a toothy smile.

Issei tried to avoid looking at her so that he wouldn't be hit with an attack of overloading cuteness. His ship needed to remain floating if he was going to be coherent for the weekend.

After collecting their bags and notifying his other lovers that he was going to be away for the weekend, Issei took Koneko along to the train station.

"Senpai, where are we going?" Koneko asked with an oblivious expression.

"Kyoto." He grinned.

Getting on the train, Issei and Koneko ate and relaxed and even talked out about small topics, as they hadn't been interacting until recently. It was only natural since Issei had been swamped with dividing his time with studies and his other lovers. There was also the fact that havoc had just ensued with the Evil Dragons and Rizevim's death.

There was no knowing about when they would get time to rest again, so Issei decided to take this chance and go for another proposal.

"Then, Senpai, Asia has been acting a lot differently within recent months. Why is that? She's been acting kind of tsundere?" Koneko asked him with a pouty tone.

Issei's breath hitched as he wondered if Koneko was aware of the Personality Ray. According to Azazel's most recent report, they wouldn't be aware of their actions due to the potion reacting strangely to the Personality Ray's energies.

"I'm not sure. Has she said anything?" He froze for a few seconds before proceeding to play along.

"She's been speaking like a tsundere for a while now but a few days ago, she's been acting like nothing happened. Something's fishy." She grumbled.

Koneko had suspected that Issei would've certainly known something. Guess she was wrong.

"By the way, Koneko-chan, how're things going with Ravel? You're not fighting are you?" He asked nervously.

Koneko's mood soured slightly before it went back to normal.

"It's going fine. We're not fighting like we used to, if that's what you're implying." She noted.

"I want everybody to get along, so I just wanted to ask that." Issei chuckled lightly.

"We are." Koneko grinned slightly.

For the next few hours, Koneko had fallen asleep after eating a hearty meal, leaving Issei in silence.

He watched her sleep as he paid attention to her peaceful expression.

"Koneko-chan. You've been alone for so long without any family that truly cared for you, that is, until you met Sirzechs-sama and Rias. I'm very happy that you have rekindled your bond with Kuroka too. Still, I'll make sure that you never feel that lonely ever again. After this weekend…I promise to begin building a real family with you." He whispered.

Koneko didn't hear it, but her heart certainly did. She instinctively smiled as her pleasant dreams continued to keep her in a fantasy of joy.

* * *

When the train stopped and the two had arrived at the planned destination, Koneko was surprised to find a luxurious inn standing in front of Issei.

"We'll be staying here for the weekend. Apparently, there's a massive festival being held here. I was hoping that we could explore it tomorrow. It's open for the next 2 days, anyways." He remarked.

He knew that Koneko had a thing for festivals, since she enjoyed playing games, especially with others. She was also a food lover so he was more than certain that she would have no problems with enjoying the food.

Issei checked the streets and looked at his watch and saw that it was already 9:00 pm. It was far too late to do much at this hour. There was also the fact that Koneko was still tired from the trip. Deciding that it was best to just rest and relax, Issei walked inside, got the key for their reserved room, and led his cute lover there.

The room was very Western in design. With a balcony overlooking the city, with 2 king-sized beds, a TV, 2 dressers, 1 table, 1 bathroom, and a kitchen, Issei was satisfied that it would be a comfortable place for the next 2 days. Everything was also designed extravagantly. There was a bright white chandelier, bright candles, soft brown carpet, white walls, and clean and intricate architectural designing done to the room.

Issei put their bags down and sprawled himself on his bed. He took a deep whiff of the air and noticed that the room smelled like cinnamon. He looked on the nightstand and saw several packages of boxed chocolate.

He looked at Koneko and noticed that she was fidgeting slightly. Her gaze was cast downward as she sat on her bed. She would send him sideway glances a few times, but he was unsure if she was signaling him of anything.

"Shall we rest early and get up early?" Issei suggested flippantly.

"Okay! Senpai!" She smiled with a cheerful smile again, making the room looked like it was sparkling.

With that decided, the two had changed into sleepwear and wrapped themselves into their own blankets. When he thought about it, Issei wondered about why he had gotten separate beds but remembered that he didn't want Koneko to feel forced into anything. He knew that she was the most averse to him at the beginning. Sure, things had progressed far from where they initially were, but he wanted to play things safe.

* * *

The next morning, on Saturday, Issei woke up bright and early and saw that a good portion of the stalls were opened. While not all of them were set up yet, there was enough to keep Koneko busy.

He turned to the bed and found Koneko still sleeping soundly. He walked into the kitchen and found that they hadn't had the time to buy any ingredients. This called for room service to provide breakfast.

He picked up the phone and called for room service and chose to delay the order by an hour, so that Koneko could get all the rest she wanted, which was usually 9 hours. As of late, she had been wanting to grow more, so she slept much more often and for longer periods of time. When 8:00 am landed, Issei decided to wake Koneko up. As much as he wanted his 'Little Cat' to sleep well, he had a schedule to keep on track.

"Koneko-chan. It's time for breakfast. Get up and get ready." He spoke softly as he gently nudged her awake.

Koneko stirred lightly but tried to ignore him and go back to sleep. She wrapped the blankets over her head and turned the other way.

Issei accepted this challenge and used a playful tone.

"Well, I guess if the kitty won't wake up, I'll eat all of the breakfast alone and then go and play and eat at the festival by myself. Hmmm…that's actually quite the plan." He mused as he looked behind his shoulder to see if she had moved.

Koneko was grumbling under the blankets. The prospect of spending time with just him alone was completely enticing her, though her body demanded that she sleep more. Within recent months, she noticed that she was growing more. Her height was growing closer to Asia's and her womanly proportions were also developing. The time where she would reach the figure of her Shirone mode was getting closer much faster than expected.

She sat up and stretched.

"Nyaaaaa!" She yawned lightly with a sleepy tone.

Contrary to what it looked like, Koneko was truthfully doing this, without any intent of teasing in her.

Issei's brow twitched. Was she truly challenging him? She knew he would lose if she started getting cute. Why did she provoke him so?

Koneko looked up and smiled brightly.

"Good morning, Senpai!" She made a toothy grin.

"Good morning." Issei nodded back at her.

' _ **That was a poor response.**_ ' Draig snorted, though Issei only ignored him.

"Let's have breakfast and then we'll get ready and head out to the festival."

"Mhm!" Koneko nodded energetically as she practically leaped off of her bed and into the bathroom.

Issei opened the door when he heard a knock. Taking the trays from the Hotel employee, he gave thinks, handed him a large tip, and closed the door. When he sat down at the table, his mind thought about a particular topic.

Koneko had grown significantly since he had met her. Her chest area had grown larger, perhaps being very close to Asia's level. Her height was pretty much the same too. Before he had ever truly noticed it, Koneko had grown without him noticing.

He sighed in disappointment at himself. He had spent so much time chasing after Rias that he had neglected the women in his harem. This was only a reminder of that. He re-examined his relationship with Koneko and laughed fondly at the severe beating that the small rook would hand to him on a silver platter. His former perverse behavior was indeed deserving of harsh treatment but that time had passed.

He recounted how after so many training sessions, the two came to see the good and bad of each other, this applying to Koneko in a larger case. He originally saw her as just a cute mascot of the Academy but as time went on, he saw how sincere she was. She fought for her allies, who gave her a new life. In certain ways, she was quite similar to him. They both hated being burdens to their comrades.

Koneko was taking a shower but her mind was elsewhere. Just like Issei, she was doing some contemplation, specifically about herself and the man she fell for. Originally, she saw Issei as some run-off-the-mill pervert. She never hesitated in disciplining his crude behavior but she knew that he wasn't a bad person at heart.

He worked hard for those around him and gave his all to guarantee the safety of those around him, especially those close to his heart. This was what brought her heart to falter in her aversion to him. She chuckled at how she stopped punching him and was now hugging him instead these days.

When Koneko left the shower in a bath robe, Issei found himself caught off-guard. She smirked and decided to sit down at the table as she was.

"What's for breakfast?" She asked.

"I wanted to wait for you to come join me. Let's see what they've brought us." He said as he opened the boxes.

Dishes of sashimi, roasted pork, fried and pickled vegetables, miso soup, fried fish, fresh white rice, and tea were served.

"Looks great." Issei then grabbed his chopsticks as he and Koneko dug in.

He looked at her and saw her eating with fervor, though she showed obvious joy and delight in tasting the food. While he liked her usual personality, this new side of her was rather nice to see as well. He didn't feel plagued with worry about how she felt, as her feelings were openly shown to him.

"Enjoying it?" He asked.

"Definitely. It's especially good I'm eating with Issei-senpai." She laughed as she took another bite.

A new thought then came into his head.

"Koneko-chan. You don't have to call me by honorifics anymore. Just call me Issei." He smiled at her.

Koneko understood the implication that he was making and nodded, though a faint blush was on her face. She was so used to calling him Senpai that she felt a bit odd with stopping that habit.

"Ok, Issei." She muttered. She felt shyness crawl around in her heart as embarrassment unsettled her.

Issei smirked and proceeded to reply in kind.

"I'm happy, Koneko." He said with a heartfelt smile.

Koneko wanted to avoid stuttering so she kept eating.

* * *

When their meals were finished, the pair changed clothes and traveled down to the town. It was strangely similar to traditional Japanese villages, given how it was designed, but there was a blend of modern features placed into it.

Koneko looked around and found several lanterns being hung up, with lines of different ribbons draping across the buildings in the street.

"Issei, what is this place?" She asked.

Issei pointed forward, prompting Koneko to look. Her eyes widened when she finally took notice of the people around her. Yokai of all kinds were walking around. Kappa, tengu, ghosts, kitsune, and several Japanese creatures of myth were enjoying the festival, without any worry of human eyes.

"This place is?" She spoke.

"It's a town for yokai. I figured that it would be nice to mingle with the supernatural world for a change." Issei explained.

He knew that Koneko's feelings of alienation were strong. Perhaps by being around fellow yokai, she would not feel so ostracized. When he looked at her, he knew that she felt lonely. It was because of how different she was in race. Even with the matter of her heritage having been dealt with, there was still the fact that she felt painful difference in Kuoh and the Underworld.

Among humans, she was a Devil and a Yokai hybrid. In the Underworld, she wasn't related to the Three Great Factions, despite being a Reincarnated Devil. She was not part Angel, Fallen Angel, or Devil. She felt like an outsider.

Issei understood that because he had felt the same before. Hence, he chose this place to help dispel her view of her species once and for all.

"Everyone here is so different but they accept each other. They live together, interact with one another, and not one person here cares about how different the other looks or behaves. I think it's a very nice place." The Sekiryuutei nodded with an approving look.

Koneko made a pouty look and grumbled sourly. Issei retreated a bit when she gave him an accusational look.

"Senpai, have you been stalking me?" She asked with deadpanned eyes.

Issei gave her an incredulous look.

"Of course not!" He denied with all of his power.

Koneko smiled and her eyes teared up a slight bit. For a long time, she felt inadequate in comparison to others, but the severe amount of attention and detail that Issei had poured into all of this had touched her.

"I know." She murmured as she held onto Issei's hand.

"Well then, shall we play?" He gestured to the flashy street in front of him.

"You know the answer to that." Koneko giggled as she walked forward.

* * *

Together, the two browsed around the shops first, as Koneko insisted. A certain stand that was selling accessories had caught her eye. It was traditional, a tan tent with a large table and a person sitting behind it.

"Welcome! Welcome! Please take a look! If you have any questions, let me know!" The Owner smiled. From his looks, he resembled a kappa, having the look of a humanoid turtle.

"I want these two." Koneko instantly took two necklaces and purchased them.

One necklace was white and had the silhouette of cat tail made from quartz. The other necklace was red and had a wester dragon wrapping around its tail.

"Oh, nice charm choice. The white one represents felines. It brings harmony to the owner. The red charm represents wester dragons. It kindles a feeling of strength within you." The Owner gave a small bit of information on the charms, which interested Koneko greatly.

"All the more reason for me to have them." She smiled. She greatly liked the meaning behind them. It was almost as if it were meant to be.

The stand owner gave Koneko the charms in neat boxes before the two left. Koneko wasted no time in taking them out and handing Issei the feline charm.

"Here, Issei. Since it represents harmony, I want it to be yours." She blushed. She was starting to wonder if this was an adequate gift for him after all he'd done for her.

Issei smiled sweetly and put the necklace on. He looked at the curved white feline tail and looked at Koneko. He was very happy with the thought behind the gift.

"Thank you, Koneko. I love it." He hugged her.

Koneko's head had a puff of steam blow out from her ears as she noticed how tightly he had embraced her.

"L-Let's keep going." She stuttered as she separated from him.

The two browsed around the gift shops before moving on to food, upon Koneko's insistence. Buying some takoyaki, Issei decided to share it with Koneko.

"Want some?" He asked as he held up one for her.

Koneko nodded but before she could say anything else. Issei gently placed one in her mouth. The action surprised her a bit but she liked the affectionate action.

The two took turns feeding each other and relished the intimacy between the both of them.

When the two got to the games, Issei found that he was never going to get past her abilities. Target shooting? His aim was good now, but his technique needed work.

"Issei, don't tell me that after all your training, you can't even shoot a toy gun?" Koneko chuckled.

Issei raised a brow at her taunt.

"Just you wait! I'll show you." He groaned as his competitive spirit was ignited.

He took aim again but missed continuously. He ended up paying more than expected as Koneko won more prizes than his pride would have liked.

He suddenly felt a soft feeling on his cheek and looked to find Koneko smiling childishly with a stuffed dragon. He then realized that she was nuzzling him with a stuffed toy.

"Careful now, if you play with the dragon too much, he gets rowdy." He joked.

"Oh no! The dragon's going to eat this innocent girl!" She went along with his joke, faking a scared look, hiding her face behind her stuffed dragon.

The two then broke into laughter as they went on to other games. Ring tossing was next. Of course, Koneko would have a better chance since she used ring-type attacks with senjutsu and ki.

' _I can't let my pride fall even more._ ' Issei then put all of his concentration into his wrist movement and aimed for a perfect score. To his horror, it went 1 inch too far and missed.

"No!" He cursed.

"Ahahahaha!" Koneko laughed hysterically as Issei failed to net a score, even with his intense concentration.

"You're hopeless, Issei. Let me try." She smirked as she managed to win a few prizes without much effort.

It then became a contest of fish scooping. Surprisingly, Issei's minute of focus had paid off. When he did beat her, Koneko pouted and huffed.

"Don't you know how to go easy on a poor and defenseless maiden?" She turned away from him.

"What?!" He cried in outrage.

Even the owner of the game looked at him in a reprimanding fashion, shaking his head in disagreement.

Issei merely sighed. He was used to these comedic situations where he was to blame. ( _ **Blame Takumi**_ )

The two continued to venture around and made sure to experience every stand that was available. It felt fulfilling to just spend time with Koneko alone, though. This new side of hers, though temporary, proved to be fun around.

She would tease him, joke around, tackle him with hugs, and speak cutely with him. Still, he had to free her of the doubt of the Personality Ray.

* * *

When the two returned to their room, Issei noted how they both smelled like the festival. The smell of food and grease was pretty much embedded in their clothes.

"I heard that there was a spa treatment here. How about you go there? I'm going to take care of some business first." Issei looked at her with an urging look.

Koneko narrowed her eyes and looked at him in dissatisfaction.

"Don't you want to go too?" She asked.

"I'll be fine. I'm not too into spa treatments. I promise to be here when you get back. I've just got some people to talk to." He tried to play up his acting skills to their fullest and…succeeded.

"Ok…I'll be back. Don't do anything obscene or perverted." She warned as she peeked in through the doorway.

Issei raised his right hand to show his sincerity.

When she left, Issei immediately went to the kitchen and took out the pots and pans that were mandatorily provided. He had bought ingredients earlier and hid them from Koneko, hoping to all realms that she wouldn't sniff him out.

He had reserved a high-class room so that it could provide a nice atmosphere for when he would propose. While Koneko was away, he'd work his magic. Truthfully, he had learned from Azazel.

Frying some steaks on pans, he got to work on Irish Stew. Next, he started steaming meat buns and dumplings. After that, he got to pastas. Last but not least, he made strawberry and chocolate crepes and fruit tart. He wasted no expense in making dishes from different cultures around the world. All of those sleepless nights cooking in secret, were to culminate in this moment.

When the food was ready, he changed into better clothing. A red dress shirt, a black tie, and black pants, were his attire. He lit candles and waited for Koneko to come back. While doing so, he began to think to himself. He remembered the downward gazes that Koneko would make sometimes when she saw other families together. He had noticed that perhaps, she wanted to at least experience what it was like to have family. To laugh with them, talk with them about one's deepest troubles, eat with them and enjoy food, and to spend time with them in bliss.

Her reconnection with Kuroka had fixed that a small bit but Kuroka wasn't exactly homely or familial in a stereotypical sense. There was no denying that Kuroka was doing good as a sister, as she looked after her and she only did what she had to do to protect Koneko, regardless of the scorn thrown at her.

"I'm back." Koneko's voice energetically called out.

Issei heard the door to the room open and found Koneko walking in. He walked out of the kitchen and saw her towel drop from her hands. She looked around and found slightly dimmed lights, glowing candles that produced a calming scent, freshly cooked dinner of different cuisines, and a smiling man walking out to her.

"Welcome home. I hope you had a good time?" He asked.

"Issei…what is this?" Koneko looked at him dubiously.

"It's just a small surprise. Anyways, let's eat! I wanted to let you come home to a nice meal." Issei gestured to the table.

Koneko hadn't eaten since she left so she was quite hungry.

"Itadakimasu." They both said as they took their first bites.

Koneko smiled when she ate some steak.

"Issei, you cooked this?!" She looked at him in shock.

He grinned with pride.

"I spent a long time leveling up to this point. How is it?" His expression then became nervous.

"It's absolutely delicious!" She made a toothy grin.

Issei felt like his heart had hit a high point when she smiled.

"That's great." He sighed.

When the meal was done, Issei concluded that it was time. He would now make his move.

"Koneko…where do you see yourself in the next few years?" He asked with a completely serious face, catching Koneko off-guard.

"Huh? Hmmm…I'd say I'd still be in Buchou's Peerage. I'll probably be in a University or I'd be working a job in the Human World." She noted, though the specifics weren't too worrying for her yet.

"I see."

"I also…see myself being with Issei for a long time." Koneko blushed and for a small moment, her voice had gone back to its usual low tone.

"That's good." Issei sighed with relief.

"I've seen the same." He got up.

Koneko looked at him and was about to ask what he meant until she saw him get down on one knee. Her heart skipped so many beats that she thought it had stopped. He reached into his pocket and her face turned pink, her mind jumping to hopeful thoughts.

' _I-I-Is…is Senpai going to…_ ' She thought to herself.

Issei opened a small white box and exposed a white quartz ring with a small diamond on it.

"Koneko, I know that when we first met, I was slovenly and I did a lot of things that you frowned upon. I guess that helped motivate me to change for the better. Also, out of the whole group, you were the most open with me and pointed things out to me to help me improve. You also encouraged me and told me the good things about myself, helping me gain a better grasp on who I was. I've fallen in love with how sincere you are and true you are to your feelings. However, I've seen that when you look at other families, you look like your in pain. I know that your family was broken for a long time and you've endured that for too long. I know the Peerage is a new family to you but now...will you allow me to make a family with you in the future? Koneko…what I'm about to ask of you is selfish, maybe even twisted, but…will you be…one of my wives?" Issei asked hesitantly due to the phrasing of the proposal.

Koneko's eyes teared up and she dove in for an immediate kiss. It was warm and intense in emotion but tender. It felt like the cold outside was nonexistent to him.

Finally, after all of this time, finally.

"Yes. I know that I can't be number one, but that doesn't matter. I'll be one of your wives." She spoke with her normal tone but the emotion in it was more than expressive of her feelings.

Issei slipped on the ring onto her finger, allowing her to look at it. Koneko smiled and went for another kiss.

"I'm so happy, Senpai." Koneko spoke with an affectionate hint in her voice.

"I'm very happy too, Koneko-chan." Issei responded.

When the two returned home, they'd agreed that it'd be better if the presence of rings was kept a secret. Issei had Asia keep the secret too, for whatever it was worth. He wanted to keep the other women guessing so that he could spring a surprise on them.

He already knew who he'd propose to next. It was a certain strong woman who could show a cute side to herself.

* * *

 _ **I'm probably so rusty with HighSchool DXD that my writing is creaky. Anyways, I'm so sorry for making everybody wait so long for a chapter.**_


	20. Chapter 16: A Dance With Her

_**It's been about a year or 2 since I joined the site and I haven't finished a single story. With that fact, I've decided that I will finish this story before I publish any new stories. Not sure what's going to be entailed by me saying that but just don't expect any new stories till this one is done.**_

 _ **Also, I want to thank everyone for their support as I haven't said anything yet. To think that this story would break 200+ for follows and favs wasn't something I ever anticipated for this story when I first wrote it. While the journey for this story is a little bit over the halfway mark, I wanna continue to have a fun time writing. Anyways, let's get on to the story.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 16: A Dance with Her**

Issei sat alone in one of his hidden rooms and was currently staring at a whiteboard…again. He decided that the person that he would propose to next was Xenovia, as it just felt right to him. Why? He didn't know, himself. His gut just said to choose her.

"Now…what's a good idea? Can't take her to skiing, Asia went. Koneko went to a festival. Now what?" Issei had been asking himself that question for the past 4 hours.

Draig just face-palmed at his lack of progress. Sure, the guy could think quick in a fight, but with romance, he was kind of hopeless at times.

" _ **Partner, what about the dance that's coming up?**_ " The Dragon suggested.

"Dance?" Issei raised a brow. What dance?

" _ **Y'know…**_ " The Dragon waited for Issei to catch on.

"Uh…" Issei elongated the sound, waiting for Draig to point things out.

" _ **The formal Dance at school?!**_ " Draig sighed.

The event had slipped his mind. There was supposed to be a formal dance party that the new Student Council had proposed for Valentine's Day. It had originally been planned by the old Council but the new one decided to finish the preparations and make it happen.

"Oh, _riiiiight_!" Issei enunciated in a dumbstruck revelation.

" _ **Seriously, how could you forget?**_ " Draig reprimanded him.

"I can't help it! I was too busy trying to plan out the next proposal!" Issei fired back.

" _ **Now's your chance, Partner! This is the perfect setup for a proposal!**_ " Draig encouraged him, speaking as if he was motivating his host into battle.

"Right!" Issei spoke with flames in his eyes.

The gauntlet had once again been thrown and he had picked it up.

"Now that I said that…I have to scrap all of my ideas now." Issei sighed, breaking the excited traction he made.

" _ **Why did you have to kill the flow?**_ " His dragon partner groaned.

* * *

Later that day, Issei looked into what was going on at the event, using his connection to Saji.

"Hey, so I need a favor." Issei spoke to his fellow Pawn.

"What's up?"

"I need to know the sorts of activities that are being planned for the Dance." He plainly spoke.

For the next while, he wrote down everything that Saji told him to the exact detail. However, he had to promise Saji a favor, which, he assumed would be coming in the near future.

The next day, Issei found Xenovia in her room, studying, as that was what Irina told him. When he asked her, he was met with another incident.

"Hm? You want to see Xenovia? Why don't you come to my room instead, Darling?" Irina pressed herself against him and whispered into his ear with a husky voice, breathing with a low voice, making Issei's spine shiver. She lightly licked his ear while moaning sensually as she pressed Issei's hand to...something.

He sneaked a peek at his watch and saw that Irina was going through a personality-switch again.

Crack.

That sound alone was enough to warn Issei of what was behind him. His watch also turned dark pink, with a blaring light flashing.

"Irina-chan…what are you doing with _my_ Issei?" Akeno's voice crawled to their ears as Issei began to sweat cold bullets. She made sure to emphasize 'my' to get the point across that she wasn't going to share.

He turned his head around with a creak and froze when he looked in her eyes. There was a lot less light in her eyes, a sure-tell sign for him to immediately get away from Irina. He snaked out of Irina's grasp and scooted away to a reclining chair.

"Nothing at all!" Issei's voice cracked in fear.

"I'd hope so. If something, say, overly intimate were to be going on…I might do something I would regret. Ufufufufufufu." Akeno grinned with a disturbed expression. Her brows furrowed and a dangerous glint flickered in her eyes.

Issei narrowed his eyes to her side and they widened to the size of saucers when he saw lightning beginning to crackle in her hand. He gulped. The room went silent before Akeno closed her eyes as she turned and walked away, not even losing her smile.

He sighed in relief. If he hadn't made any of the girls hide the fact that he was engaged to them, he was most likely to have been killed by now. He saw too much anime and played too many visual novels to not know how things go with yanderes.

' _Wait…_ ' A long and agonizing pause ensued in Issei's subconscious.

' _Does this mean?_ '

' _ **That she knows everything**_ **?!** ' Draig finished for him.

' _Given their nature. There's no way that Yandere Akeno would not know about what I've been up to. Then again, she may have stopped watching me after I confiscated her equipment._ ' Issei mused.

* * *

He walked upstairs and shook his head to clear away his negative and fearful thoughts. He would have to worry about yandere Akeno later…er, if he lived that long.

He knocked on Xenovia's door, receiving a polite reply.

"Who is it?"

"It's Issei."

"I-Issei? Give me a moment."

Issei heard rummaging come from the other side, specifically, the sound of a door being crammed shut. What was up with that?

The door slowly opened to reveal Xenovia looking rather flushed and unsettled. Her hair was a bit of a mess, with locks of hair sticking in different directions.

"Is something wrong?" Issei asked, curious yet confused.

"No. Nothing is wrong. Did you need something?" Xenovia cleared her throat.

"So, I heard that the School Dance is next week?"

"Yes. It's supposed to happen at 6:00 pm. Why? Did you need to know more?" Xenovia went on.

She felt her heartbeat speed up when Issei got onto that topic.

 _'What's he getting to? Is he g-g-g-g-going to ask me out to the Dance?_ ' She stuttered in her mind.

"So, you found a date yet?" Issei paused as his sheepish smile melted into a darkish look of realization.

' _Wow…real smoooooth, Issei._ ' He snarked at himself.

"No. What about you?" Xenovia asked, her heart festering hope.

"I did." He spoke plainly.

Those two little words made Xenovia look down in disappointment. To be honest, she had been approached by several guys, who were eager to ask her out to the dance. She had been holding out for Issei to ask, hanging on to a little seed of hope that he would pick her for the Dance. As the Student Council President, she felt it was her duty to show up and make sure things proceeded smoothly at the event.

Now that Issei said that, she felt her hopes get smashed.

"She's standing in front of me." He added with a sly smile.

Xenovia snapped up to look at him, dumbfounded.

"Eh?"

"That's only if you want to go as my date, though." Issei scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

This wasn't the smoothest date proposal but he swore that the engagement proposal would be better!

Xenovia smiled brightly as her original emotions of disappointment and angst were replaced with joy and relief.

"Yes." She happily agreed.

Issei felt like he'd been punched in a positive way when Xenovia smiled at him. It was so pure and ecstatic. How could he stay calm with that?

"G-Great. Then, it's a plan. We'll leave for the Dance next week." He nodded.

"Yeah!" Xenovia agreed with gusto as Issei left.

As he walked away, his heart began to finally calm down from its short run. He had to admit, at first, he didn't like Xenovia much at all. She was pretty, yes, but she was too overbearing and arrogant at their first meeting. The anger he felt when she insulted Asia and wished to execute her, was something that made his blood boil.

However, when comparing now to then, his views of her had hit a total 180.

* * *

Inside of her room, with her back against the door, Xenovia smiled to herself as she walked over to her closet. Opening it gingerly, she looked inside and found herself looking at an elegant cobalt blue dress. It was sleeveless, and almost reached her ankles. Golden lines decorated the dress, almost cascading around it in eye-catching detail. The dress had been a gift from Rias, who encouraged her to attend such events to expand her horizons, (while also hoping to push her along with advancing things with Issei).

"Still, I wonder if I actually look good in this." She sighed.

She then shook her head. She shouldn't be having these thoughts now. Matters were already decided, the best she could do now was to retain her composure

Issei, on the other hand, was in his now-named, "Plan Room", making calls and arranging events to occur. He was now on a roll and he wasn't going to stop. Looks like it was going to be another all-nighter for him now.

* * *

Weeks went by, and the night of the Dance had arrived. The other girls of the Harem had stepped aside, deciding that they'd give Xenovia a chance to have some alone time with Issei, though everyone besides Asia and Koneko remained oblivious to what was really going on.

Xenovia walked downstairs wearing her gold and cobalt dress, with a small sword hairpin in her hair. She was spotted by the other girls, who were staying home, and proceeded to be surrounded by them.

"Uwaaah. Xenovia-san, you look so beautiful." Asia complimented her friend with her hands clasped together. Admiration was clearly shimmering in her eyes.

"Very classy. Xenovia-senpai." Koneko monotoned, but the positivity was still clearly stated.

Footsteps were heard as Issei walked forward, wearing a black suit with a red shirt and a white tie. He looked at her warmly as he extended an open hand.

"Shall we go?" He asked.

Xenovi only nodded and smiled serenely as they proceeded to walk out of the door.

"R-Remember, don't do anything obscene while you're out. Behave yourselves." Rias shyly reminded them with a bashful blush on her face.

Akeno remained silent as she waved them off.

* * *

The two got to a black limo and entered as the driver took them to Kuoh Academy.

"Issei, is it really necessary to have a limo drive us?" Xenovia questioned, feeling as if this was just too extravagant for a simple school dance.

"Of course. Walking is out of the question for this kind of etiquette and I want you to be treated like a princess, even if just once." Issei stoutly replied.

Not wanting to step on his feelings, the bluenette nodded in understanding.

"I also wanted to say, you look very beautiful in that dress. It matches your hair and your eyes. It's like gold and sapphire just clothed you." Issei commented, his approval clear.

Xenovia immediately went pink as she looked away, trying to hide her blush. Her tone also heightened a bit when she spoke. This was all the indication that Issei needed to know that she was flustered.

"T-Thank you."

Finding this new type of reaction cute, Issei only chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Xenovia asked him, feeling teased.

"Nothing. It's just that I find your behavior cute."

That was the final blow as Xenovia turned away, not wanting to let him see steam puff from her ears.

* * *

Finally, the two entered the grounds and Xenovia was utterly shocked by what was going on. Things were not supposed to be like this.

A massive white tent had been pitched on the empty grounds of the Academy. It was easily able to house a few hundred people, judging by its looks. The Academy looked turned off and completely quiet compared to the bustling bright tent.

"I thought the Dance was supposed to be in the school's gym?" She asked.

"Not sure. Let's check out the tent. Maybe we'll learn about what's going on." Issei suggested.

The two walked through the front gates and followed a white stone road that had been planted there. Candles lit the way as signs telling to follow the trail to get to the School Dance Event.

Entering through the white tent's entrance, a massive dance floor was in the middle of the room. Hundreds of tables clothed in white fabric were scattered around it. Balloons and silk streamers coiled around the walls of the tent as a bulb chandelier hung at the top of the ceiling. A large stage and sound booth were set up at the side that stood opposite to the entrance.

Xenovia spotted Saji and walked over. He was wearing a black suit with an indigo shirt and a black tie. Standing by both of his sides were

"Saji-kun! What is all of this? This was way too far out of budget?!" She demanded answers.

No one had ever let her in on this happening even though she was Student Council President.

"Well, the Headmaster of the Academy said that he was going to change the Dance's events and contents. He said that some strange donor gave a crap ton of money for the school to organize this." Saji frantically waved his hands in fear.

Xenovia glared at him, not believing his story.

"I'm serious! The Headmaster just came in and used his authority to!" Saji pleaded his case.

"It's true. Gen-chan couldn't do anything." Momo Hanakai walked over, wearing a red dress that went with her white hair.

"Sorry, Xenovia-san." Ruruko apologized as she bowed her head.

Xenovia wasn't really angry, but she was rather appalled as all of the Student Council's hard work had been for nothing,

Making a sigh, Xenovia broke her frown and made an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Saji-kun. I didn't mean to be so high-strung with you. It's just that everybody worked so hard to prepare for the Dance's preparations."

"It's fine. Apparently, things are going to turn out real nice and fancy. Also, all of our plans remained. It's just the quality of content that's been changed." Saji smiled bitterly, trying to reassure her that he felt no resentment.

However, Saji and Issei traded knowing looks. It was actually through the collaborative works of Issei and the Student Council that this night happened. With a very generous amount of donations from his bank account, along with paying for the entire night, Issei had managed to make things go his way.

After beseeching Saji for approval to do this, he finally managed to persuade him after hours of begging. The Headmaster wasn't hard to convince after he threw about 750,000,000 Yen at him. Even though he hated to seem this way, money did have its uses.

"Well, looks like people are already starting to flood in, so we'd best get ready." Xenovia seriously spoke as the Student Council nodded.

When all of the participants gathered and sat down, Xenovia walked to the dance floor and spoke into a microphone.

"Hello, everyone. I want to thank you all for coming here tonight. As you all may know, there were sudden changes to the content of tonight's events. However, that does not mean that there has been a negative impact in any way. Therefore, I have a prepared list of events for tonight. First, there will be a sit-down dinner of extravagant preparation. Second, there will be a live band performance by a professional group. Lastly, there will be the formal dance." Xenovia announced.

With that said, Xenovia made her speech before letting everyone turn loose.

Seating herself across from Issei alone at a private table, as Issei ensured, the two waited for the food.

"I wonder who that donor was?" He faked interest, though it managed to fool, Xenovia.

"Me too. It's strange for someone to just come up and do this sort of thing. Maybe it's someone we know?" She remarked.

"Maybe. Oh well. Let's just enjoy the night." Issei waved the matter away, hoping that he wouldn't slip up and spill the beans.

Waiters entered from the entrance flap, carrying shining silver trays covered with cloches.

"For tonight, we shall have 5 course meal, starting with appetizers." The waiters explained as they revealed what the appetizers were.

It was mini-cheese quiches with salmon bites wrapped in cucumber and gyoza.

The 2nd course, Soups, were a choice of Crème Shrimp soup or Tomato soup, accompanied by garlic bread or cheese bread.

The 3rd course, Salad was either Caribbean Crab Salad or Green Salad with croutons, cranberries, tomatoes, bacon bites, and a selection of dressings.

The 4th course, the Main course, was Seared Salmon with a side of white rice and pickled vegetables or Grilled Steak with a side of cheese potatoes.

Lastly, the 5th course was dessert. The students either had a choice of Crème Brule, Strawberry shortcake, or German Chocolate Cake.

At the beginning of the course, Issei had actually broken into a sweat, feeling very nervous as to how Xenovia would take this. When he saw her reaction to him rewriting the night's events, he was very worried. It was at his reluctance to change everything in the first place, but he had been given a chance so he felt the need to seize it.

"Issei? You've been staring around for a while now. Is something wrong?" Xenovia looked at him, clearly worried.

"Er, well, I was just wondering how the food was." He fumbled his words as he internally smacked himself.

"The appetizers are well done and thoroughly cooked. I like it. The original meal plan was to have a buffet style but this makes things much more organized." She remarked, with a small smirk before taking another bite of her gyoza.

With a small exhale of relief, Issei finally began to eat. While dining, the two decided to start talking.

"So, after graduation, what do you plan to do?" Issei asked.

"I want to become the Headmistress of my own cram school. I've learned that education is a vital thing in society and it also expands one's own common sense. When I first met you, I lacked a lot of it due to growing up as a sheltered girl." Xenovia then broke into an emotional smile.

She looked at him sweetly as memories surfaced in her mind.

"After spending time with you, I've learned that there's a whole lot more in life to enjoy."

Issei cleared his throat to hide his touched expression before continuing to eat.

"What about you, Issei?" She looked at him with a worried expression.

For a long time, she worried about his future choices. The amount of time she got with him hung on what he decided to do and where he decided to go. With the other girls already vying for his attention, this already reduced a lot of her time with him, when one thought about it.

"I think I'm going to go to a university and then I'll go on to become an entrepreneur." He passively spoke. The reason behind the word 'think' was because he didn't know if he'd live for that long.

Sensing this, Xenovia put a gentle hand on his own.

"Don't worry. We'll all definitely get to the future together." She smiled.

The two later changed topics continuously whilst joyfully eating dinner. Much to Issei's surprise, he found this Xenovia to be much peppier than the real one. Running with this chain of thought, Issei found that while things were much more hectic with the Personality Ray causing fiasco side-effects, these new sides were interesting and loveable as well.

When dinner was through, the Stage was already prepared, with equipment having been discreetly set up for a band to come and play.

Xenovia was honestly surprised when she saw that it was a band that she had grown to like. When the other students saw, they were amazed to see that a professional band had willingly come to perform at their Dance.

"Hello, Kuoh Academy! Are you ready to light up your night?!" The lead singer shouted into the mic.

He was met with several shouts of excitement, kicking off the show.

Xenovia looked around and found that everyone had started to move with the flow, jumping with joy and looking on in wonder as music echoed and filled the tent. She couldn't help but feel excited as chills traveled her skin, making her tingly with adrenaline while breaking into a smile.

After a list of several songs had been played, the band ceded their stage to a small orchestra, playing a soft but energetic tune, perfect for dancing gracefully.

Issei looked around and found that pairs were already forming, which meant it was time for him to make his big move.

Extending a hand to Xenovia, he looked at her charmingly.

"Shall we?" He suggested.

Taking his hand with a smile, the two stepped onto the floor, moving with grace as they smoothly danced a slow waltz.

"So, I take it that Lady Venelana taught you?" Issei guessed.

"Yeah. She said that since everyone besides Asia and I, knew; it would be good for us to learn." Xenovia answered while turning elegantly before resuming her steps with her partner.

While the two danced, several took notice of how much more graceful they were when compared to several of the other couples. It was like they had done this sort of thing before.

"When did Hyoudou know how to do a two-step waltz?" A passerby whispered.

"I didn't think he'd actually be active enough to learn any of that." Another commented.

"If only they knew." Issei chuckled.

"Nevermind them. They don't understand anything since they're shallow." Xenovia waved off the comments.

The comments honestly bothered her, as she had expected the negative critique of Issei's character to die down, but clearly, that wasn't the case. She had also noticed the disparaging comments that people made about him. She had half a mind to whip out Durandal.

"Thanks, Xenovia." Issei still had a sore spot when it came to rumors. He still remembered the other night at the restaurant.

"Let's not focus on this. How about we change topic?" She suggested, hoping to brighten things up.

"Sure. How do you feel about how the night went?" Issei had been eager to know her opinion.

He didn't care about what other people said, as they were superficial. All he cared about was how the woman in front of him felt. Xenovia went silent for a moment before grinning and giving her honest opinion.

"It was very fun to me. The dinner was delicious. It was a little coincidental to see that salmon was on the menu, since it's my favorite." She chuckled.

Issei made sure to note that comment.

"The band is also my favorite one, right now. I've been wanting to go to a live performance to one of their shows but I was pretty upset that all of the tickets were sold out. Looks like I don't have to worry about that anymore. This dance is also something I'm greatly enjoying. It's a fresh change since I don't have to worry about survival or anyone getting hurt. For once in a long while, we don't have to worry about fighting. We can just enjoy our normal lives like normal people." She sweetly smiled, making Issei's heart go pitter-patter.

* * *

Finally, the last event ended, with Xenovia giving her closing speech, thanking everyone for attending as well as wishing a good night to all participants. When she was about to leave the tent flap, Issei stopped her, gently taking hold of her wrist.

"Xenovia, can you stay behind with me for a bit? There's something that I want to talk to you about." He looked at her with a soft but serious expression.

"Uh, ok." She felt a little nervous, unsure of what was going on.

To be honest, she had felt a little suspicious the whole night. She didn't know why, but she just felt it.

Issei held her hand as he led her out to a more quiet and vacated place of campus. While walking, Xenovia blushed as she felt his large hands gently caress hers.

Finally, the two arrived to an unexpected sight, well, Xenovia didn't expect it, at least.

What lay before them were candles lighting a small circle of stone, like how a square in a park would look. It was directly under the moonlight, making it much more dazzling than it sounded. Walking over to the designated spot, Issei turned around and faced Xenovia.

"Issei, what does this mean?" She asked, feeling absolutely nervous and taken aback.

Her heart felt like it was ready to burst as butterflies flew around in her stomach.

"Xenovia, I've known you for about a year now. When we first met, it was clear that we didn't like each other. I didn't like how you called Asia a heretical witch and I'm sure that I was nothing more than a small-fry to you." He made a bitter smile as he recalled the past.

"But, after spending a year with you and learning more about you, I decided that you were much more than you presented yourself to be. You're clearly smarter than you seemed, adding to your already strong character. You're earnest and you try hard for what you aim for without any fear. And you also don't hesitate to protect and honor the people that you care about." Issei fondly spoke while Xenovia held her breath.

She knew where he was going with this, but didn't dare to believe it, afraid that this wasn't the case.

"That's what made me fall in love with you, Xenovia. You're beautiful, strong, and righteous. And though, I can't promise all of my being to you only, I can swear that I won't ever ignore you. My feelings are very real, just as they are for the other girls at home. I know that my words are wrong in several ways but I just have to do this. Therefore…" Issei stopped as he knelt down on one knee.

He took out a small box and opened it, revealing a silver ring with a large sapphire gem.

"Xenovia Quarta, will you marry me?"

Xenovia was very silent. It was so quiet that even a leaf falling could be heard. She kept her head low, with her bangs covering her face. Suddenly, Issei saw a droplet fall from the side of Xenovia's face. Sniffing then came as her lips contorted.

"I..I've been wondering for how long…I…how long I'd have to wait and see how you felt about me." She sobbed between sentences as she wiped her eyes.

"I've been wondering for so long if I was just annoying to you. I was scared because I've never felt this way before. When I found out that you died fighting Shalba…" She trailed off as she struggled to hold her cries in.

"I didn't know what to think. But now…I'm going to make sure that…that doesn't happen again." She looked at Issei and broke into a smile.

"Yes. Yes, I'll happily be your wife." She sniffed as she dove forward.

Pulling each other into a tight embrace, Issei smoothed Xenovia's back as her tears of joy wettened his jacket.

"I promise, I'm going to love you now and forever." Issei swore as Xenovia nodded in agreement.

Separating for a moment, the two stared into the other's eyes, feeling emotion override them as they both trailed closer and closer to each other. They were so close that they could feel the moisture in each other's breaths.

Finally, the two kissed beneath the moonlight, solidifying their promises as they relished the bliss of the moment, becoming absorbed by it. The kiss wasn't lustful, remaining pure and untouched by sexual desire, as odd as that may have been. Rather, passion and love filled that specific void.

Issei was surprised with the fact that even though he had proposed for the third time now, he was still feeling the same unrivaled happiness as before.

Finally breaking apart for air, they smiled and touched foreheads, calming themselves down, though the deep pink color on their cheeks failed to disappear.

"So, tell me. It was you who orchestrated everything, wasn't it?" Xenovia gave him a suspicious smile.

"Caught me. I'm glad that you liked it."

"Figures. At first, I thought it was Rias, but considering what you just did, it's clear that you set everything up. To think you'd go so far that you'd do this to the School Dance." Xenovia chuckled.

"I know how much the Academy means to you, as you said that you wanted to give back to it. So, I thought this was the perfect place to propose to you. It was a little tacky, to me, though. Sorry, I could've done better." Issei apologized.

Xenovia shook her head.

"Nope. It was perfect. That makes this place even more memorable to me. It was where I met everyone and now…" She then looked up at Issei before going in for another deep kiss.

"It's where I got engaged with the man of my dreams." She giggled cutely.

This, however, reminded Issei to tell her something very vital.

"Xenovia, I'm sorry to say this but there's something that I have to make you swear to do." He looked at her, guilt smeared all over his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worried.

"Until, it's time and everything is ok, I need you to keep the fact that we're engaged a secret. I…" Issei didn't get to finish as Xenovia nodded in calm understanding.

"You plan to propose to the others?" She asked.

The Sekiryuutei only nodded.

"I know, Issei. I'm not worried or upset. I'd actually be bothered if you didn't propose to the others." She chuckled.

* * *

When the two arrived home, the pair explained what happened and were surprised by the details of the Dance, as it sounded far to extravagant for a simple High School event. Issei thanked whatever power was at work that nobody suspected that he was the true mastermind behind everything.

However, Issei wasn't done; not by a long shot.

* * *

 _ **And that settles Chapter 16. It's not as long as usual and it may not be up to par but I did my best to write out the proposal to Xenovia, it was a killer, and I'm glad that it's done.**_

 _ **I'll also announce that this story won't go past 23-24 chapters. I won't milk it for more than it's worth and it's also time that this story ended soon. It makes me sad to say this, but the journey for this story is coming to a close soon.**_

 _ **Again, thank you for continuing to support this story and I will see again for Chapter 17.**_


End file.
